Reliving the Teens
by miji-chan
Summary: COMPLETE! Kenshin becomes 14 again after falling ill after a battle with a revenge-seeking ex-samurai. What happens when he doesn't remember the Kenshingumi, and confuses past with present?
1. Chapter 1

**Reliving the Teens**

Ch 1

Disclaimer: If I owned Rurouni Kenshin do you THINK I would be writing this?

Konnichiwa! Hey everyone, I'm back. This is my new RK fic. Please enjoy, and review!

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Kenshin dodged a front attack, then responded with a side blow to his opponents side with his sword and foot. But the other man saw it and Kenshin had to back flip under and over a thrust.

"Heh, not so fast are you Battousai?" Uchiro said, smirking as Kenshin landed on his feet again and resheathed his sword.

Kenshin smirked back at him, "Oh don't worry, we're just getting started."

"Be careful Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted to him from just outside the dojo door. Kenshin turned and waved at her reassuringly then side stepped another attack from Uchiro. With surprise Kenshin realized that he was beginning to tire from all the dodging and running he was doing.

'I'd better finish this before I faint from exhaustion. Then I'd never hear the end of it from Shishou." With a mental picture of Hiko smirking at and insulting him, Kenshin leapt into the air.

Meanwhile Uchiro had lost sight of Kenshin. "Stop moving around Battousai, are you fighting me or playing games?"

"Oh don't worry, we're still fighting." Kenshin answered, then hammered his opponent to the ground. He lightly landed on his feet and used his sword for support as he watched the other man.

Uchiro weakly and painfully got to his feet, bleeding from several cuts and breathed heavily. "Darn-you-Battousai." He wheezed, then in one last deperate try he threw a smoke bomb at Kenshin and disappeared into the smoke. Kenshin resheathed his sword and started to turn to walk back towards Kaoru and the others, mentally cursing smoke bombs, when he realized he couldn't move. 'Darn it!' Kenshin cursed, raising an arm so the sleeve of his gi / hakama (?) partly covered his nose and mouth. He squinted, trying to see through the smoke then began coughing painfully.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted worriedly and began to run to him when Sano tugged her back. "Look here rooster," She began angrily, but Sano shook his head. "Wait until it clears."

They waited, Kaoru's heart pounding in her ears and Yahiko and Sano holding their breath.

When the smoke did clear, it revealed Kenshin lying unmoving on his side in the middle of the yard.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted tearfully and ran to him, them dropped to kneel by side. "Kenshim, can you hear me?" She lightly shook his shoulder but he didn't respond. "Kenshin!" Kaoru wailed, draping herself over Kenshin's side.

"Go get Megumi runt, tell her its an emergency." Sano told Yahiko, who nodded and ran out of the gate. Sano kneeled next to Kaoru and gazed worriedly at his friend. "It's okay Missy, he'll be fine. It is _Kenshin_ we're talking about after all."

Kaoru nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and then her sleeve. "I know, its just," she paused uncertainly, "I have a feeling that it won't be the same after this."

(A/N: I was going to end it there, but then I decided not to. Aren't I sooooo nice? ;) )

Yahiko soon returned with Megumi and led her to where Sano and Kaoru had moved Kenshin into the dojo.

"What happened?" Megumi asked as she laid out her things and began checking Kenshin over for severe wounds.

Sano and Kaoru exchanged looks before Kaoru spoke up. "He was fighting a man named Uchiro. They had been fighting for a while before Kenshin pounded him to the ground. Uchiro was severally wounded and fled, but not before he threw a smoke bomb at Kenshin."

Megumi pushed up Kenshin's sleeve and began bandaging it. "It must have been more then just a smoke bomb to hurt Ken-san like this." She said, shaking her head.

Kaoru didn't like Megumi doubting her and asked rather hastily, "Well what do you think it was?"

"Well, from what I see, I think it had some paralysis powder inside." Megumi bit her lip. "And, it might have had some kind of poison in it as well."

Kaoru gasped and covered her mouth as her eyes teared up. "No…" Megumi sighed. "All I can suggest is to have him rest for a few days after he wakes up, and keep a close eye on him. Don't let Ken-san do anything to drastic or tiring."

"He's going to _love_ that." Sano muttered. "That's all?" Kaoru asked surprised.

"For now, yes." Megumi said reluctantly. "Call me when he wakes up." Then she left.

"Let's get him to his room so he can rest easier." Kaoru told Sano, then helped him pick Kenshin up, he was fairly light, and carry him to his room. Then they laid him down on his mattress and put a pillow under his head.

"I'll stay with him." Kaoru offered before Sano could say anything. "Why don't you and Yahiko go to the Akabeko and get something to eat."

Sano stood up. "Alright." He said agreeably. "Do you want us to bring anything back for you?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No thanks."

"Alright." Sano said again, then left the room with a quick wave.

Kaoru leaned back against the wall to watch Kenshin closely. "What happened to you Kenshin? How will this all turn out?" She asked worriedly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

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Okay everyone, that's it... for Ch 1. I do have a little of Ch 2 written... so I will continue IF people review. So PLEASE REVIEW!

As the summary says, this fic is about what would happen if Kenshin turned 14 again. Can't say anything more, except get ready for some fun and games coming soon.

Also, just FYI the title of this fic may change. I'm not fully sure of what I want it to be called. Sorry.

Once again, please review! Thanks!

-miji-chan


	2. Chapter 2 Pt 1

Reliving the Teens

Ch 2

Pt 1

Welcome back everyone! To those who reviewed THANK YOU SO MUCH! I cant believe so many people reviewed! Have fun with this chapter... and dont forget to review!

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Kaoru kept a close watch on Kenshin the next few days, but he never woke up during that time, or moved much or spoke for that matter. Megumi continually returned to rebind Kenshin's wounds and monitor his fever. 

On the third or fourth day Megumi shared the good news with the others. "His fever is breaking and his wounds are starting to heal so that means Ken-san should wake up soon."

"That's wonderful!" Kaoru exclaimed and ran to hug the doctor who laughed and patted her on the back. "That's very good news." Sano added.

Kenshin slowly drifted awake and opened his eyes. After blinking and stretching slightly, he realized that his surroundings weren't as familiar as they should have been.

'This isn't my room in the inn,' he thought, making an observation of everything in the room. Then he stiffly got to his feet and quietly walked to the door and opened it. 'The hallway isn't the same either.' Kenshin observed, and slid the door shut again. He looked down at himself and was relieved to see that he was wearing his same dark blue outfit

(His pink one was ruined in the battle and the blue one was his only spare). Then Kenshin touched the back of his head to find his hair in a low ponytail at the back of his neck and perhaps slightly longer then he remembered. To reassure himself Kenshin undid his hair and retied it in his normal high ponytail. After he had done so, Kenshin readjusted his clothes, opened the window and soundlessly slipped out of it and onto the roof.

Once he was on top of the roof, Kenshin studied his surroundings. The inn, or dojo as he guessed it was, was much smaller and was surrounded on all sides by a wooden fence, with a small wooden gate inserted in the middle of the side that led out onto a dirt road.

Past the fence was a dense forest of trees; one that Kenshin noted would make an easy escape. He refocused his attention when one of the three dormant ki's inside the dojo suddenly burst into wakefulness. To make things worse the ki, which he recognized as a women's, was slowly moving towards the entrance of the dojo, and towards him.

Cursing softly Kenshin pressed himself against the tiles of the roof, trying to make himself as invisible as possible. He watched as a woman stepped out of the doors to pause uncertainly. All that Kenshin could see of the women was that she had long black hair tied into a ponytail, and wore a robe over her sleeping clothes. To his surprise, she also carried a shinai in her right hand.

"That's odd," the women commented quietly, easily overheard by Kenshin with his heightened senses, as she rubbed her head, "I thought I heard something." Then she sighed and began to walk back inside when Kenshin's foot slipped on a tile and he found himself sliding off the roof and falling towards the ground. Reflexively Kenshin twisted in mid-air and did a few flips to land lightly on his feet, until his ankle gave out and he collapsed to the ground.

The women gasped and ran to kneel in front of him. "Kenshin, are you alright?" She asked worriedly, watching as he held his ankle and grimaced slightly at the pain.

Kenshin, who had his head lowered so his bangs hid his face, suddenly raised his eyes to meet hers when he heard the familiarity in her voice.

Kaoru gasped as she saw Kenshin land lightly on his feet, then suddenly collapse to the ground after he had fallen off the roof. She hurried to his side and automatically asked if he was all right after she saw Kenshin grip his ankle and wince slightly.

Kaoru expected him to answer with his usual smile and, "Daijoubu, Kaoru-dono. Arigatou." But instead his head rose and she found herself staring into a pair of unsettling cold blue eyes.

Kaoru gasped, she hadn't expected that at all. Glancing over the man she had thought was Kenshin, Kaoru realized that he only had the vertical cut of Kenshin's usual scar, his eyes were blue instead of violet, and he was much smaller then she remembered Kenshin being.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked uncertainly and she shifted uncomfortable under his questioning blue gaze.

The Kenshin look-alike started slightly, then asked quietly, "How do you know me?"

Kaoru noticed the lack of Kenshin's usual speech patterns, but decided to ask about it later. "What do you mean Kenshin?" She put a hand on his forehead. "Did that smoke bomb make you lose your memories?"

'Smoke bomb?' Kenshin thought surprised. 'I don't remember a smoke bomb in the last few days.'

"Kenshin, you're scaring me." Kaoru said after his lack of response, or facial emotion.

He turned back to look at her. "I'll ask again, how do you know me?"

Kaoru frowned. "What's your name?" She countered.

Kenshin regarded her calmly, trying to decide whether to give his name. Ordinarily he was supposed to go by his nickname, but Katsura-san had taught him to be polite to women.

"It's Himura Kenshin." When Kaoru didn't respond he continued, "May I ask yours?"

Before Kaoru could stop herself, she blurted out, "Kamiya Kaoru." 'So this _is_ Kenshin, but why does he look and act so differently?'

Kenshin smiled. "It's nice to meet you Kaoru." He paused. "May I ask you a question?"

Kaoru nodded.

"Would you happen to know the whereabouts of a man named Katsura Kagoro or another named Orishi? Or perhaps even another who goes by the name of Hiko Seijiro?" Kenshin asked hopefully, looking her directly in the eyes.

"K-Katsura died twelve years ago Kenshin, and I've never heard of someone named Orishi." Kaoru exclaimed, and then quickly continued when Kenshin's face became emotionless again. "As for your Shishou, I think he still lives in that miserable place he calls a cabin."

Kenshin looked confused. "Katsura-san can't be dead, I saw him a day ago, and Orishi a day before that!" He exclaimed, and then buried his head in his hands.

As soon as he said that Kaoru realized something. 'Yesterday? But,' "How old are you Kenshin?" She asked him out loud.

Kenshin looked up at her through his bangs. "Fourteen, why?"

Kaoru jumped to her feet in shock. "Fourteen! But that means-" She shouted at him, causing Kenshin to glance up at her with mild surprise.

"That means what?" He asked calmly, although he was wondering if she was secretly crazy.

Before she could answer a new voice entered their conversation.

"Hey Missy, what's up with all the shouting?" Sano asked, walking over from inside the dojo. Then he noticed the redhead sitting on the ground. "Hey, Kenshin! You're up, I'm glad you see you won out!" He exclaimed.

Kenshin looked over at the source of the voice to see a teen, several years older then him, with spiked black hair, wearing a long, white jacket standing next to Kaoru. "Do I know you?"

Sano frowned, the fish bone hanging halfway out of his mouth. Then he laughed. "Course you do Kenshin! Don't scare me like that buddy." When Kenshin didn't answer Sano walked over to peer at him closely.

Kenshin inwardly squirmed; he hated to be in the spot light.

"Hey Kenshin, are you alright? You look younger, than you usually do I mean." Sano observed.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "I'm fourteen, how can I look younger then I already am?" He asked pointedly.

Sano's response was nearly the same as Kaoru's. "No way! You're fourteen! I mean you've always looked younger then you really are, but I mean _fourteen_?"

Kenshin smiled annoyedly. "Do you want me to repeat myself rooster, or are you really that slow?"

Kaoru broke up at that and began laughing hysterically. Kenshin was looked at her surprised, and Sano annoyed. "What's so funny Missy?"

Kaoru laughed. "He called you by your nickname and he doesn't even know you!" She gasped.

"Huh?" Sano turned to Kenshin. "What's she mean?"

Kenshin smiled. "I'll say it again, do I know you?"

Sano gaped at him. "Wait, your not saying 'sessha' or 'this one.'"

Kenshin scowled. "Do you know _anyone_ who says that anymore?"

"Yes, _you_!" Sano exclaimed, pointing at Kenshin.

Kaoru decided to step in. "Kenshin, this is Sagara Sanosuke, the dojo's resident idiot."

Kenshin smirked. "Nice to meet you rooster."

"So are you really fourteen?" Sano asked excitedly.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Yes I am. Why?" 'Why can't you get that fact through your thick skull?' He asked silently.

"Cause that means you're younger then me." Sano explained grinning.

"Just ignore him Kenshin, most of us do." Kaoru said, glaring at Sano. "Are you hungry?"

Kenshin nodded. "Yes."

"Oh no, you don't want her food Kenshin, you'll get food poisoning." Sano warned, making a slashing movement across his throat.

"Maa, maa, I'm sure its not that terrible." Kenshin said, shaking his head.

"Oi, buso!" Shouted a young voice, and Kenshin looked up as a young boy, younger then him, with pointy black hair came running around the corner. "When's and where's breakfast?" He asked as he skidded to a halt.

At Kenshin's curious look Kaoru introduced the boy. "Myojin Yahiko, my student."

Yahiko saw Kenshin and gleamed with happiness. "Kenshin! Your awake, and up! Hey, you can make breakfast!" He announced.

Kenshin pointed at himself. "Me? Make breakfast?" He scratched his head. "I don't know."

"C'mon, please?" Yahiko pleaded. "I want to eat something edible."

"What did you say?" Kaoru shouted angrily and proceeded to chase Yahiko around the dojo with her ever-handy bokken.

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Phew... that was fun to write. Oh, thanks to Yanikei for beta-ing this. And if your thinking 'That was an odd way to end it.' I know it was, don't worry there's a whole nother part of this chapter. I promise to have that up soon as well. And I always keep my promises. ;P 

To my reviewers:

FIVE REVIEWS! You do not know how HAPPY you guys made me! Thanks sooooooooo much!

Kristy-chan: Thanks, I'm glad. Don't worry (see above)

Punx13: Awwwwwww, thnx. blushes Uh oh... 'alter ego'? SCARY! And don't worry I have at least one more chapter written... I think. winces As for BK I might get to that... but see he not QUITE Battousai yet. As for e-mail... you should get one... I have four! WAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

Sekamu: Great, Im glad. And don't worry I will.

ruruken: Wow... that was 'interesting.' jk. Thnx, and yes she is... with Kenshin anyway. He's probably the only one. Don't worry, I promise to (see above). Yippee!

Dragoneyes: Hey urself. Thnx! Im glad and ill keep going... for awhile anyway... jk.

* * *

Thanks to everyone for the reviews and input! Please keep it coming. If anyones confused let me know and Ill try to help... as much as I can. ;p

See ya later

miji-chan


	3. Chapter 2 pt 2

Reliving the Teens

Ch 3

Hey everyone! Glad to see me? Sry this took so long but the computers at school and my own computer were conspiring against me for awhile. Please enjoy... and review!

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"Do they do this often rooster?" Kenshin asked Sano as he got to his feet. Sano nodded and spat the bone out of his mouth.

"Yeah, but if you want something to eat you better get cooking." At Kenshin's annoyed look he added, "You can cook, can't you?"

Kenshin sighed. "Yes, but-" He didn't have time to continue before Sano slapped him on the back and pushed him into the dojo.

After Kenshin had gone in, Sano called to the others who were still running around the dojo. "Hey you two, settle down!" Yahiko and Kaoru slid to a halt in front of him, and knocked into each other in the act of doing so.

"Ow!" "Watch it Ugly!"

They were about to start hitting each other again so Sano stepped between them and grabbed hold of Kaoru's bokken. "Hold it Missy. You don't have to fight anymore, Kenshin's making breakfast."

Kaoru let him take her bokken as she stared at him. "He cooks?"

"What do you mean buso, of course he cooks! Haven't you tried Kenshin's cooking lately?" Yahiko asked her incredulously.

"Of course I have!" Kaoru told him loudly. "That's not what I meant!"

Yahiko narrowed his eyes at her. "Then what did you mean?"

Kaoru shook her head. "Never mind, I'm going to go help Kenshin!" Then she ran off into the dojo.

Yahiko turned towards Sano. "Is there something going on that I don't know about?" He asked suspiciously.

Sano leaned down and ruffled Yahiko's hair. "Don't worry Yahiko-chan, nothings going on."

"DON'T CALL ME CHAN!"

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Kaoru walked into the kitchen to see Kenshin standing at the stove, looking as he had been there forever as he stirred and cooked. 

"Hello Kaoru." Kenshin greeted with his back still towards her. Kaoru started then remembered that Kenshin could read ki.

"Hey Kenshin." Kaoru said, stepping up beside him. "Do you need any help?"

"No, thank you anyways Kaoru." Kenshin told her as he added another ingredient. "You can stay if you want." He added, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Thanks." Kaoru smiled and leaned against the bookshelf. She watched curiously, as Kenshin continued cooking. Soon a timer went off and he moved to spoon perfect heaps of rice into four different bowls.

After he put them under plates to keep the rice warm, he went back to the other pot and stirred the liquid inside. "Do you have any spices Kaoru?"

"Yes, in the cupboard to your right." She instructed him and watched as Kenshin set the spoon down and jumped up to stand on the edge of the counter and search through the cupboard Kaoru had indicated.

"W-what are you doing?" Kaoru exclaimed, horrified as she watched him.

Kenshin stopped and leaned slightly backwards so he could look at her beyond the cupboard door. "I was just looking for some spices for the soup. Am I doing anything wrong?" He asked curiously.

"No, its just no one's ever done that before." Kaoru explained. "There are stools you know." She pointed out.

"I know." Kenshin said, jumping down wit several spices in his hands. "But that way is easier." He explained as he measured the spices and added them to the soup.

Kaoru looked skeptical but didn't respond. After a few minutes she asked thoughtfully, "I don't suppose you do laundry as well?"

Kenshin wrinkled his nose. "No, I don't. Why would I want to get my hands all wrinkled? It would ruin my sword practice."

"Speaking of swords, do you want to spar with me after breakfast?" Kaoru asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, but no." Kenshin declined, shaking his head. "I don't like hurting girls."

Kaoru's temper flared. "You won't be hurting me! I am the assistant master of the-"

"Kamiya Kasshin-ryu sword style. Yes, I know. But still." Kenshin finished her sentence.

"Argh!" Kaoru shouted angrily and charged at him. But Kenshin easily dodged, then grabbed her shirt collar and bokken. 'Beaten by a 14 year old.' Kaoru thought defeated. She glanced back at Kenshin who was watching her expressionlessly, but whose eyes were blue flecked with amber. 'Beaten by a highly skilled 14 year old swordsman who's training exceeds my own.' She amended.

"Hey Missy, Kenshin." Sano greeted as he walked in, followed closely by Yahiko.

Kenshin let go of Kaoru's collar and bokken, then stepped away from her.

"What do you want Sano?" Kaoru asked tiredly, readjusting her shirt with a slight glare at Kenshin.

"Whoa, what'd you do to get Missy mad?" Sano asked Kenshin, recognizing the tension.

"I, um." Kenshin scratched the back of his neck. "I declined her offer to spar." He explained.

"Oh." Sano said understandably.

Yahiko leaned forward to sniff the air. "Whatcha making?" He asked Kenshin eagerly.

"Miso soup and rice." Kenshin answered. "Cool!"

"What did you want Sano?" Kaoru repeated.

"Huh?" Sano asked intelligently. "Oh, I was going to remind you that Megumi said to contact her when he woke up." Sano pointed at Kenshin who was stirring the soup.

"Oh, right." Kaoru responded. "Hey Yahiko, would you mind doing that?" She asked politely.

Yahiko scowled. "Fine," he growled then ran out of the kitchen.

"Will this be enough for everyone?" Kenshin asked worriedly, pointing at the soup.

Sano stepped forward to smell it. "Mm, smells wonderful Kenshin, as usual. Who taught you to cook so well?"

Kenshins smile slipped. "Shishou did."

Sano laughed. "No way! That maniac swordsman taught you to cook!"

"You know Shishou?" Kenshin asked, his expression confused.

"Yeah, he comes around sometimes. Usually every month or so." Sano explained.

Kenshin looked worried. "I would like to see him, but our parting was so abrupt, and we were so mad at each other that we never really said goodbye."

"Don't worry Kenshin." Kaoru patted him on the back. "Nowadays you and Hiko get along much better."

Kenshin nodded. "When is his next visit?"

Kaoru and Sano looked at each other. "In a few days I think."

"Very well, but-" Kenshin started to say, but Yahiko's call of "We're back!" interrupted him.

Soon Yahiko and Megumi had joined them in the kitchen. Kenshin quickly turned around and began spooning out the soup.

When Megumi noticed Kenshin at the stove she glared at the others and growled angrily. "I told you to keep him resting." She walked up to Kenshin and teasingly tugged lightly on his ponytail while placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen Ken-san," Megumi began reasonably, but she didn't expect Kenshin's reaction to an unfamiliar voice and hand on his shoulder.

He twisted out of her grip and vaulted over the other three to land lightly at the other end of the kitchen. Kenshin met her eyes with his ice blue ones and said coldly, "Do I know you?"

Megumi looked surprised. "Of course you do Ken-san." Kaoru, who realized Kenshin was angry, quickly ran over to his side,

"Kenshin don't worry its okay. This is Megumi Takani, a friend of ours and a doctor." Kaoru introduced them.

Kenshin regarded the both of them skeptically before bowing slightly. "I'm sorry Miss Takani. Please forgive me."

Megumi frowned. "Of course Ken-san, you don't have to apologize. But are you feeling alright?" She walked up to him and put a hand on his forehead, ignoring Kenshin's cold glare. "That smoke bomb isn't making you hallucinate is it? It didn't give you amnesia?"

Kenshin glared at her and backed away a step. "Why is everyone talking about a smoke bomb? There hasn't been an attack like that in more then a week!" He exclaimed angrily, then quickly turned on his heel and ran out of the kitchen, disappearing from the doorway.

"Oh dear." Kaoru sighed. "I suppose we'll have to eat without him." She walked over to the stove and finished spooning out the soup.

"What was Ken-san talking about Kaoru?" Megumi asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

Kaoru sighed. "Wait until we eat, then I'll tell you." She handed out the bowls of soup and rice.

"Alright, lets eat!" Sano exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

As they sat down on the floor and began eating, Kaoru kept looking worriedly at the door where Kenshin had disappeared from, and couldn't help but hope that he'd recover.

* * *

After they finished eating, Kaoru went to get Kenshin to see if he would let Megumi look him over to see if anything was serious or if there was something that the doctor would have to treat. 

Kaoru put her bowl on the counter and walked out of the kitchen to stand in the doorway leading outside.

She looked around, trying to spot a glimpse of the familiar red hair. When Kaoru saw none she decided to call his name.

"Kenshin!"

When there was no response she lowered her hands form her mouth and sighed. 'He probably doesn't trust me anymore.' Kaoru thought depressed.

"Yes Kaoru?" A soft voice enquired from above her. Kaoru squeaked and walked forwards, then turned to see Kenshin lying on the roof.

"What are you doing up there?" Kaoru asked curiously once they could see each other. Then her gaze moved to the place where Kenshin had fallen from, where there were several tiles missing.

"You'll have to fix that." She informed him, pointing. Kenshin glanced over at the place, then back at her with an eyebrow raised curiously. "Well you're the one who broke it." Kaoru continued when he didn't respond.

"Yes Kaoru." Kenshin sighed and slowly sat up. "What was it that you needed?"

"Huh?" Kaoru asked, surprised at his change of topic. "Oh, I don't need anything. I just wanted to tell you that Megumi want to look you over."

When Kenshin smirked and both eyebrows went up she gasped and covered her mouth. "No, no! That's not what I meant. She's a doctor you know, and-"

Kenshin stood up and jumped off the room to land in front of her. He smiled and put a finger over her lips to quiet her. "I know what you meant Kaoru."

Kaoru looked back at him surprised. 'Kenshin was never this brazen, or so pervy.' But then he took his finger away and walked back inside the house, leaving Kaoru standing in the yard. 'What is with Kenshin and lying on the roof?' She asked silently before sighing and sitting down on the steps.

* * *

Well, thats it for now. I hope you liked it... I do. Also if anyone's wondering why I haven't updating my Fruits Basket fics lately its cause I'm kinda on a RK craze right now, but don't worry... I'm still writing. As for this fic, believe it or not I DO have a plot in mind. I'll just say that its going to be a fun ride. ;) 

Thanks goes to Yanikei once again for beta-ing. ;p

Reviewers:

Dragon: Thanks, Im glad u think that way. Of course.

ken: Great! Thnx

Sekamu: Mm hmm. Thanks.

Yanikei: Thanks, and isnt that a perfect reason?

Kristy: Really? Thanks. blushes I will.

Priestess: Wonderful, and i promise to.

ruruken: lol. Definitely, I agree.

* * *

Thanks again! See you all next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! puppy eyes Please?

Sya,

miji-chan


	4. Chapter 3

Reliving the Teens

Ch 4

Hello everyone! How have y'all been doing? Good I hope, me too. Well, more later... please read, enjoy and review!

Got it? Get it. Good!

* * *

Yahiko, Sano and Megumi looked up as Kenshin came back into the kitchen. 

Kenshin stopped halfway across the room and spoke, his head lowered so his bangs covered his eyes. "Kaoru said you wanted to see me Miss Takani."

Sano and Yahiko snickered, but stopped when Kenshin glared icily at them.

"Please call me Megumi Ken-san. Yes, I did want you, let's go this way." Megumi instructed, taking his arm and leading Kenshin out of the room.

"That was weird." Yahiko commented, spooning the last of the rice into his mouth.

"What do you expect from Megumi? She's always flirting with Kenshin or draping herself over him." Sano responded disgustedly.

"Mm-mph-mgg!" Yahiko answered, his mouth fully stuffed.

Sano leaned over and ruffled the younger boys hair. "Be careful Yahiko-chan, we wouldn't want you to choke, now would we?"

"Sure you would." Yahiko muttered. "Hey, don't call me chan!"

Sano shrugged. "Sorry. Do you think that Megumi will ever understand that Kenshin's in love with Kaoru and not her?"

Yahiko smirked, "Yeah right. Don't get your hopes up, rooster-head."

"WHY YOU LITTLE-!"

* * *

"In here will be fine, Ken-san." Megumi instructed, opening a door and following Kenshin inside. She shut the door before sitting down across from Kenshin, with her handy doctors' kit lying next to her. 

"You should be resting more Ken-san, instead of moving around and making breakfast." Megumi said as she opened her kit.

"And why would that be Miss Megumi?" Kenshin asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Megumi looked at him confusedly. "Because you're obviously still suffering from the side effects of that smoke bomb from a few days ago." She frowned, puzzled, "Actually you shouldn't be feeling as well as you obviously do."

Kenshin smiled. "That's what Orishi always said." A brief expression of pain and grief passed over him before his face became emotionless again.

"Please roll up your sleeves Ken-san." She instructed, and then began treating his wounds. "Who is Orishi?"

Kenshin winced slightly at the cold temperature of the alcohol Megumi was using, and then answered, "One of the doctors at Headquarters."

"Headquarters?" Megumi echoed curiously, but Kenshin looked away and didn't answer. She continued treating his wounds, applying the alcohol and bandaging in silence until Megumi commented to herself, "You have many more scars then I remember Ken-san."

Kenshin, with his good hearing, heard her and explained, "From many recent run-ins with the Shinsengumi." He smirked. "You should see the other guys."

Megumi shook her head. "But those should have healed by now, after all these years." She glanced at his face, "and you should have your cross scar." She drew a ghost of it on her own right cheek.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any cross shaped scars on my face, only this one." Kenshin pointed out, tracing the vertical cut on his cheek.

Megumi looked at him, studying his face. "What, but that's impossible!" She exclaimed, shocked. "There's no way a scar so deep could heal instantly overnight like that."

Kenshin stared at her wide-eyed and shook his head. "You must be mistaken Miss Megumi, this has always been just one scar. It has never had a counterpart, as you seem to believe."

With narrowed eyes Megumi told him to take off his shirt so she could see his back. Kenshin did so with a smirk and turned around.

"I don't understand," Megumi said slowly, "all your wounds that I've treated aren't there." She traced many lines on his back. "The ones from Raijuta, from Aoshi, and from Shishio… All gone…"

Kenshin shook his head and put his shirt back on. "I haven't even heard of any of those people."

Megumi stared. "But your battle with Shishio was only a few months ago."

"The Shinsengumi have been attacking nearly every week and often more regularly. I wouldn't have had time for another battle within that time." Kenshin countered.

"But Ken-san, the Shinsengumi had been disbanded for over ten years!" Megumi protested confusedly.

"That can't be possible Miss Megumi." Kenshin said, shaking his head. "Their last attack was only last night." When Megumi gasped, he held up a hand to stop her. "I remember Kaoru saying that Katsura-san died twelve years ago, when I met with him only a day ago. She also said that she had never heard of anyone named Orishi when I also saw her only two days ago." He met her gaze firmly. "Therefore something must have happened to me for this confusion to happen."

Megumi paused to consider Kenshin's words. Finally she said, "The war ended over ten years ago Ken-san, that's why the Shinsengumi are disbanded."

Kenshin stared at her in shock and drew his legs up to his chest and forlornly rested his head on his knees. "I don't understand any of this. Nothing makes sense anymore."

While putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, which made Kenshin flinch, then relax, Megumi asked quietly, "How old are you to think that the war is still going on Ken-san?"

He looked up at her and for the first time since she met him, she saw a childish confusion in his eyes. "Fourteen, I've been in the war for nearly a year now."

"Oh Ken-san." Megumi murmured and put her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him in a loose hug. And for the first time Megumi knew of, he let her hug him"I think we need to contact your Shishou." Megumi whispered.

"You know him?" Kenshin asked hopefully. "You know where he is?"

Megumi shook her head. "No, I haven't met him, but I've heard you talk about him. And I'm sure Kaoru knows where he is."

"I would like to see him again." Kenshin confided, smiling slightly.

"We'll find him then. Let's go talk with the others." Megumi reassured, then helped Kenshin stand and they walked back to the kitchen.

* * *

Kaoru, Yahiko and Sano stopped talking heatedly and welcomed Megumi and Kenshin as they walked up to them, the doctor gently leading Kenshin by the hand. 

"Are you alright Kenshin?" Kaoru asked as she moved to his side and gripped his arm. "What did Megumi say?"

Kenshin looked over at her, his expression blank. "Why didn't you tell me the war's been over for ten years Kaoru?"

She took her hand away and looked guiltily at him. "I-"

"We've decided that we need to contact Hiko." Megumi interrupted, saving Kaoru from having to explain.

"You mean Kenshin's Shishou?"

"The giant maniac with a sword?"

"Mr. I'm-so-much-better-then-you, with the 'holier then thou' philosophy?"

"Do you know of any other Shishou?"

These last two descriptions made Kenshin snicker quietly. When everyone turned to stare at him surprised he blushed. "I'm sorry but that really is just like him."

"Okay," Sano commented, "but how do we get a letter to him?"

"We know where his 'cabin' is, but not the address." Kaoru put in, scowling at the description 'cabin.'

"By messenger bird." Kenshin said, having recovered.

Yahiko's face scrunched up in confusion. "You mean like the ones Ice Man and Weasel Girl use?"

"Sure…" Kenshin agreed, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

Kaoru nodded. "That might work."

"Wait, but how do will the bird know who Hiko is?" Yahiko asked reasonably.

Sano and Kaoru groaned. "Ah man." "Darn." They exclaimed annoyed.

"I have a picture of Shishou." Kenshin said, breaking the tense silence.

They all turned to stare at him. "Really Ken-san?" Megumi asked surprised.

"Yes." He answered. "I'll go get it." Kenshin said at their looks, then left the kitchen and went back to is room.

"That was easy." Sano commented. "Mm-hmm." Kaoru answered agreeably.

"How will this work exactly?" Megumi asked skeptically.

Kaoru opened her mouth to answer. "I'll show the bird a picture of Shishou, tie a letter to its leg and then it will fly to Shishou and give him the letter." Kenshin answered as he walked back into the room, carrying what looked like a photograph.

"It sounds a little risky to me. What if someone else intercepts the letter?" Megumi voiced her opinion.

"For now it's the only thing we can do." Kaoru told Megumi, handing Kenshin a piece of paper, ink and a brush.

"Do we really want Kenshin to write the note? I mean his penmanship is terrible." Sano asked worriedly.

Kenshin glared at the rooster from where he was posed over the paper with pen in hand. "My writing isn't that horrible."

"Yes it is." Sano argued and Kenshin rolled his eyes then continued writing.

"What are you saying?" Kaoru asked interestedly, looking over Kenshin's shoulder.

Kenshin stopped writing and looked back at her. "I'll let you read it when I'm done." He said emotionlessly.

Kaoru stared then stepped away. "Alright."

* * *

A few minutes later Kenshin finished writing, put the pen down and waved the paper gently so it would dry. "Done," he announced and handed it to Kaoru. She scanned it and nodded agreeably. "Looks good." 

"Is this really necessary? I mean the guy's gonna be here in a few days anyways." Yahiko protested.

"Yes." Kenshin agreed as he tied the letter to the leg of the bird that Sano had caught. "But if he gets the letter he'll come even faster." He laughed. "Maybe Shishou will even run here."

"Right." Sano drawled sarcastically. Kenshin nodded. "Exactly." He walked to the door and threw the bird into the air, then watched as it flew away.

"Well, now we just have to wait." Megumi said, folding her arms. Everyone else nodded.

"All right then Yahiko, lets start practice. Go do a hundred swings." Kaoru instructed the boy who groaned.

"Come on, no way! A hundred?" He protested, being led away by the ear by Kaoru who was yelling at him.

"What about you two?" Kenshin asked, turning to Sano and Megumi who exchanged glances.

"I have to get back to work." The doctor explained, then picked up her kit and left. "Take care of yourself Ken-san."

"And you?" Kenshin asked Sano who grinned. "Not calling me 'rooster' anymore?"

Kenshin smiled and shook his head. "No, I figure you already have a name, why give you another?"

Sano rolled his eyes. "Thanks." He winked at the redhead and gave him the thumbs up. "Well, I'm going to go wander a bit, maybe grab a bite of food."

"A freeloader are you? Figures." Kenshin shook his head and watched as Sano left.

'Maybe I can get used to life like this. It certainly is more peaceful.' He looked around the room. 'I'm in an empty room talking to myself.' Kenshin shook his head. 'I must be going crazy. I suppose I could go watch Kaoru and Yahiko practice.'

* * *

Kaoru and Yahiko had already started when Kenshin walked in and sat down. Yahiko was protesting about how hard she worked him and Kaoru was calling him a wimp and saying that she didn't even work him hard at all. 

"Yeah right buso, you probably work me harder then anyone else!" Yahiko protested, waving his shinai around.

"I do not!" Kaoru said then proceeded to hit him on the head with her shinai.

"Actually you have it fairly easily Yahiko." Kenshin intervened from where he was sitting. The other two turned to looked at him, they obviously hadn't heard him walk in.

"What do you mean Kenshin?" Kaoru asked curiously, lowering her shinai.

Kenshin smiled. "The first day Shishou drilled me on speed he balanced a bee hive on my head, covered me with honey and annoyed the bees so that I had to run to keep from being stung. I ran as fast and far as I could, but by the end of the day I was still covered with bee stings."

Yahiko stared at him, his mouth open, and Kaoru asked, "You're kidding right?"

"No." Kenshin shook his head. "That was how I learned to run so fast, to keep away from the bees. Shishou also sent other animals after me as well, like wolves, squirrels, birds and more bees for starters."

"He seriously did that to you?" Yahiko asked amazed.

"Yes." Kenshin smiled. "When he taught me ki-sensing I had to track him through the forest around our cabin. In a way, it was like hide-and-seek. But after a while I got lost and by the time Shishou thought to come and find me, it had been almost a week and I was in the next town."

"You should have filed for child abuse." Kaoru said, shaking her head.

"No, it wasn't like that; he taught me important things in life and swordsmanship. And he did care about me, in his own, odd way." Kenshin protested, sticking up for his master, for once.

"Mm-hmm." Kaoru said unbelievably. "Wow, even ugly here's better then that." Yahiko said, gazing at Kenshin with renewed admiration. "I can't believe you lived through that."

"I did, but it stung for a while. Go on, I interrupted your practice." Kenshin finally changed the topic, waving them on.

"That's okay Kenshin." Kaoru smiled at him. "Come on Yahiko, start your swings again."

The boy grumbled, but did as he was told. Then after a couple swings, he stopped and turned to point at Kenshin. "Hey wait, your not saying 'sessha' or 'this one' or 'that something' anymore. And you're even calling ugly here by her name."

"What do I usually call her?" Kenshin asked, eyebrows raised.

"Kaoru-dono or Miss Kaoru." Yahiko explained, causing Kenshin to roll his eyes.

"Do you know anyone who uses those proper titles, or says 'sessha' or 'this one'?" Kenshin asked doubtfully.

"Well you used to. But not anymore." Yahiko said, then looked at the floor doubtfully.

"Give him fifteen years or so and he will." Kaoru said, smiling at Kenshin.

"Thanks Kaoru."

She winked. "No problem."

"What do you mean 'give him fifteen years'? And before you asked ugly why she didn't tell you the war was over when you should have known it was since you were a part of it." Yahiko asked suspiciously, feeling like he was missing something.

"What do you know? The brat's actually using his brain." Kaoru observed, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

"Now, now Kaoru. Be nice." Kenshin lightly scolded her, and received a glare in return. "What?"

"You don't have him insulting you nearly every waking minute of the day, about everything you do or say." She vented, very frustrated.

"Not Yahiko no, but Shishou yes." At her 'yeah, right' look he continued. "It's true, any time I did something wrong or messed up, it was 'baka deshi' this or 'baka' that. I'm not sure that he even called me by my name once." Kenshin frowned uncertainly at the end.

"Sounds like a wonderful guy." Kaoru observed sarcastically, partially rolling her eyes.

Kenshin shrugged, feeling like the discussion had gone on longer then it should have done. Kaoru noticed, and, feeling the same way, told Yahiko to finish his practice swings.

But Yahiko shook his head. "Nah-uh. Not until someone tells me what's going on."

Kaoru sighed tiredly. "This is going nowhere. Kenshin, why don't you just tell him and get it over with?" Yahiko looked happy at this and eagerly turned to Kenshin.

"Tell him what Kaoru?" Kenshin asked innocently, staring at her. Kaoru glared at him, raising her shinai threateningly. Kenshin gulped and quickly gave in.

"So tell me already!" Yahiko demanded impatiently.

Kenshin sighed. "Fine, but this is the last time. Understand?" When they both nodded, he continued, looking over at Yahiko. "I don't know if you'll understand this, but I'm fourteen now."

Yahiko gaped at him wide-eyed. "No way, so you're the Battousai now?"

With that Kenshin closed himself off.

His eyes became guarded and cold, his face became emotionless and his mouth set in a grim line. He slowly stood up and turned towards the door. "Please excuse me." Kenshin said icily and walked out.

Kaoru angrily turned to Yahiko, raising her shinai. "You little idiot!" She yelled.

Yahiko glared at her. "You just called me an idiot, you never do that. Only to Sano."

"Why did you have to go and say that? Now he won't talk to us at all!" Kaoru ranted angrily, gesturing as if hitting him.

"You're being weird." Yahiko commented quietly.

"ARGH!" Kaoru exclaimed, waving her arms around.

Yahiko watched her interestedly. "That's it, you're officially crazy now."

* * *

Okay, everyone... CALM DOWN! (silence) Ah, thats better. I know that Yahiko would probably never say that, but bear with me. Also the stuff Kenshin said about when he was learning with Hiko was all, 100, made up by me. 

Just FYI, I'm leaving for Japan in THREE DAYS (June 17) so there'll be no more updates between now and the 27th. Actually it might be a little longer, it depends on how productive I can write and type and how quickly my beta-reader (Yanikei) can edit them. So don't hold your breath. ;p

To my reviewers:

I'm not sure if I already responded to your reviews or not so bare with me if I have. From now on I'll reply to them right away and then just list the names. Thanks.

paws: I promise I will after I get back, Im sorry for the long wait. Don't worry, we'll get to Hiko, I promise.

nisse: Thank you, more coming soon!

Auburn: Im glad you thought so. yeah, he would never be like that, but hey, he's a fourteen year old guy with hormones. Watch out! Jk. Im soo glad you liked it!

Dragon: Thanks, Ill try to keep to your standards, more soon i promise.

Kristy: Thanks, I will.

PKIS: thanks for the suggestion, Im glad you liked it.

Yanikei: Of course it is. Im sure you do, very sure. (rolls eyes) Jk. Im glad you liked it and thanks.

* * *

Thats it for now. I hope you liked this chapter and don't forget to review! More charecters make their appearences soon. Youll just have to wait to find out who. Remember... keep checking back after the 27th. Sya!


	5. Chapter 4

Reliving the Teens

Ch 5

Yep, Im back! Howdy-doody! Here's the next chapter (duh) sry it took me so long, Japan wasn't as fanfic writing friendly as I thought it would be... photos are coming. Please read and review!

* * *

Kaoru ran out of the dojo, through the gate, ran into someone and fell down to the dusty ground.

"Hey Jou-chan, whats the rush?" The person said, then held out a hand to help her up. "Sano!" Kaoru exclaimed, taking his hand and rising to her feet. "Did you see which way Kenshin went?" The rooster stared at her then pointed off to the right towards the forest. "Yeah, I think he went that way." Kaoru immediately went running in that direction, shouting her thanks.

"What's wrong?" He yelled after her.

"I have to find him!" Kaoru yelled back, then disappeared into the trees.

Kenshin sighed and leaned back against the tree trunk, his head resting on a branch. 'I shouldn't have reacted like that, no doubt I scared Miss Kaoru.' He sighed. 'But to know that a kid, who obviously looks up to me, knows about my past and still…'

He sighed again and leapt down off the branch to land in the middle of the path. After looking around and making sure that no one, or thing, was in the area, Kenshin drew his sheathed sword and placed the wooden sheath near the bottom of one of the surrounding trees.

Kenshin walked back to the middle of the past, moved into a ready stance, closed his eyes while clearing his mind of any thoughts and began. He started with a basic kata then, picking up speed, moved into one of the more advanced ones.

* * *

Kaoru ran down the path, her sandals pounding on the packed dirt. Occasionally she stopped to catch her breath and shout the redhead's name into the heavy silence. When there was still no answer she sighed and resumed her running. She was gasping for breath and her heart was pounding in her ears when Kaoru came around a bend in the path and stopped dead in her tracks.

She had never seen Kenshin practice before, only fight, yet here he was, a younger version of the man she knew and loved, moving at god-like speed and practicing a kata she had never seen.

Kaoru watched him for several minutes where she leaning against a tree, taking in the sight of how relaxed and natural he looked, as if the sword was just an extension of his arm.

All of a sudden the redhead stopped moving and stood still, the sword held loosely at his side. "Yes Miss Kaoru?" He asked without turning, his voice emotionless.

Kaoru took this as an invitation to run up to him until she was standing behind the fourteen year old. "I was just worried when you suddenly ran off like that." When he didn't respond she continued, "I'm sure Yahiko didn't mean what he said, sometimes he just-"

"It's alright Miss Kaoru, Yahiko isn't to blame." Kenshin said as he walked over to the tree and sheathed the sword he had been using. Kaoru noticed worriedly that the sword Kenshin had wasn't his usual, familiar sakabato, but a katana instead.

"Was there something else Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked as he turned to look at her.

"Well, yes." Kaoru hesitated slightly, "I have to go get some groceries to make up for the things I burned last night, in town, and well, I-"

"-Was wondering if I would come with you?" Kenshin finished, smiling at her.

Kaoru looked up, saw him smiling, and relaxed. "Yes." She watched as the redhead walking forward to stop in front of her.

"Very well, shall we leave then?"

* * *

Kaoru gently guided Kenshin down the main road, nodding or saying hello to people she knew who passed by. Beside her Kaoru saw Kenshin tense every time someone came too close to them, invading his wide bubble of personal space. She squeezed his hand, noticing how he flinched at the contact, and leaned sideways to whisper in his ear, "It's alright Kenshin, just relax. No one's going to attack."

He nodded and Kaoru saw him trying to relax, breathing slowly and closing his eyes until they became distant again. When he was calmer they continued walking, but Kaoru noticed his uncertainty. 'Of course he's uncomfortable around all these people. He's a hitokiri, an assassin who kills other people. Plus it doesn't help that he's a part of a war where there's hundred's of people trying to get revenge or kill him.' Kaoru argued with herself, glancing over at her companion.

When they turned into the market street Kaoru announced cheerfully, "Here we are!" then led him into a store where they sold rice and tofu. Kenshin followed closely in her footsteps, doubtfully eying the crowd around them. Kaoru quickly found and paid for the rice and tofu, handed them to Kenshin to carry and then led him back out into the street.

They repeated this process a few times until Kenshin was struggling with the armful of food he was carrying and Kaoru's purse was nearly empty. "Thanks for coming with me Kenshin, and for carrying all the food, I could never do that myself." Kaoru said, smiling as they walked back to the main road.

"I'm sure." Kenshin said sarcastically under his breath, quietly enough for Kaoru not to hear him. Then he suddenly stopped as they passed a darkened alleyway and the redhead sensed a somewhat familiar, _threatening_ ki. He stared into the shadows surprised and confused until Kaoru came up and laid a hand on his arm.

"Kenshin?" She asked worriedly, looking at him then followed his gaze. "There's no one there Kenshin. Come on, let's go home," Kaoru gently nudged the redhead away by a hand on his arm, but Kenshin couldn't tear his eyes from the alleyway or rid himself of the sense of foreboding he felt.

* * *

They made it home and Kaoru put the purchased food away while Kenshin disappeared from her side. After she finished Kaoru found Yahiko again and reassured him that Kenshin wasn't upset or angry with him. When Yahiko finally began to believe her after she threatened to smash his head in, they continued their practice from where they had left off earlier.

Sano returned a few hours later and several coins lighter, loudly announcing how hungry he was. When Kaoru was finished yelling at him about how irresponsible he was, she went into the kitchen to begin making dinner.

"Why isn't Kenshin making dinner?" Sano asked Yahiko who looked upset and answered ashamedly, "After I found out that Kenshin's fourteen again, I said a stupid comment about how he's Battousai again." Yahiko shook his head. "He looked really sad, then walked out-"

"Where is he now?" Sano asked hurriedly. Yahiko pointed up at the roof and the rooster nodded, then walked to the side of the building and climbed up the ladder to find no redhead occupying the roof. He climbed back down and told Yahiko, "he's not there," when he passed the boy on his way to find Kaoru.

"Hey Jou-chan, where's Kenshin?" Sano asked as he paused inside the doorway. Kaoru set down her spoon and turned. "Why?"

Sano pointed with his thumb back outside to where Yahiko was standing. "'Cause I just heard about what happened earlier and I want to talk to him." Kaoru looked at him uncertainly, then said, "Fine, he's either on the roof or in the forest." She then turned back to the stove and began cooking again.

"The forest?" Sano asked surprised. "Yes, that's where I found him earlier. Just follow the path and you'll probably find him."

"Alright, thanks," he said running out of the kitchen, down the path and into the woods. Sano followed the path through it, and after rounding a bend, he found the redhead.

His friend, or the person who was supposedly his friend, was standing in the middle of the path, a sword held in front of him. "Kenshin?"

The fourteen year old lowered his sword, opened his eyes and turned to face the rooster. "Can't a teen get a moment of peace around here?" He asked sarcastically.

Sano grinned. "Sorry man, I just wanted to talk with you for awhile."

"So talk then." Kenshin responded emotionlessly, looking expectedly at the rooster. "Well, I was worried how you felt about the runt's comment." Sano explained hesitantly, then looked up when his friend walked over to a tree and sat down underneath it.

"I wasn't upset about it, I understand his view." Kenshin sighed and rested his chin on his hand. "It's just, even in the future people recognize and name me by my appearance." He looked up at the rooster with his expression guarded, but there was a flicker of desperation in his dark blue eyes. "Sometimes I just feel so _tired_ of this life." Kenshin whispered.

Sano looked up surprised. "But you're not that person anymore, you're better then that." He paused. "What do you mean by '_tired_' buddy?" Kenshin turned and looked calmly at him. "Buddy? Why did you call me buddy?"

"Um, well," Sano rubbed his head, "we're friends in this time, and I figured that even if you aren't the same guy we can still be friends."

"Mmm." Kenshin commented, uncommitted.

Sano quickly changed topics. "Are you coming back for dinner? Kaoru's cooking, but it might not turn out too bad."

"No thanks, I think I'll stay here for awhile." Kenshin answered, then jumped back into the branches of the tree he had sat in before. "Alright." Sano answered, then stood up and walked back down the path with one last worried glance at the redhead.

* * *

Sano walked back inside the gate and was assaulted with questions by Kaoru. "How was Kenshin? Is he upset at all? Will he come back for dinner?"

He waved his hands to stop her. "Relax Jou-chan, Kenshin's fine. He's not coming back for dinner, but I think he feels better."

Kaoru didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? He didn't say anything odd?" Sano shook his head, "Well he said something about," but then he noticed her expression and stopped, "never mind, he was fine. How's dinner going?"

Kaoru realized he had changed topics and became angrily, "Watch yourself rooster, I want to know about Kenshin, dinner can wait."

"There's seriously nothing wrong with Kenshin, he's fine but he wants to be alone for awhile." Sano tried to reassure her.

She didn't respond except to glare at the rooster.

He shifted to his other foot and rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the floor. "Why are you so worried about Kenshin Jou-chan? He's always fine."

Kaoru looked off to the side. "I'm not so sure Sano. Today when we were at the market Kenshin started acting oddly after he stopped in front of an alleyway then looked into it, terrified until I made him start walking again. I, I just worry about him sometimes." She sighed. "He's always smiling and cheerful, yet Kenshin's so closed off and private sometimes that we barely know anything about him. But then something like this happens and _I'm right back at the beginning again_. I don't know what to do."

Sano looked surprised at her. "It'll be okay Jou-chan, everything will work out, like last time."

Kaoru looked doubtfully at him. "I'm not so sure this time Sano. Nothing like this has happened before, he's different now."

* * *

Yahiko, Sano and Kaoru ate dinner by themselves, without Kenshin, then Sano went off gambling again and Kaoru and Yahiko, after a few shouting matches, stopped practicing then went their separate ways.

Sometime late in the evening Kenshin returned to the dojo and quietly walked to his room, then sat down (against the wall like usual) to soon fall asleep.

* * *

Sometime in the night or very early in the morning Kaoru woke up to the sound of quiet sobbing. She slowly stood up and walked to the door to open it and step into the hallway.

Following the sound quietly down the hallway, Kaoru was surprised to find herself standing in front of the door to Kenshin's room. She slowly opened his door to find Kenshin sitting against the wall again, his eyes closed and sword lying right next to him.

But when she stepped inside Kaoru could easily see the tears running down his face with his chin resting lightly on his knees and soon the room was filled with the sound of quiet choking sobs. Kaoru walked over to kneel in front of Kenshin and slowly stretched her hand out so it was right in front of his face.

"I'm sorry."

She quickly withdrew her hand and stared at him. Did he know she was there?

"I really didn't mean to," he started sobbing more loudly, "I didn't want to."

"Kenshin." Kaoru whispered sadly, surprised at his pained dialogue. Kenshin had never spoken to them a lot about his history as a hitokiri, but now this younger version of him had come and they were learning more.

"Okaa-san, I'm sorry I turned out this way. I'm so, so, sorry." Then he began crying harder.

Kaoru began leaning forward again, intrigued by this change since he had never mentioned his parents before. But when her hand was close to his face, Kenshin suddenly started and Kaoru found her hand caught in a death grip and dark blue eyes boring into hers.

He looked confused at her. "Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin quickly let go of her hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you alright?" Kaoru asked, quickly changing subjects. Kenshin sighed softly and lowered his head again. "I'm fine thank you Miss Kaoru."

"Well, alright. It's just," she hesitated at the look on his face but then continued, "I heard noises and thought that something had happened to you."

Kenshin shook his head. "No Miss Kaoru, I'm fine, but thank you for coming to ask." Something flickered across his eyes. "No one else has ever cared before." He whispered quietly to himself.

Kaoru heard him and felt saddened, "Come on Kenshin," she said smiling cheerfully, "surely you have friends in the Choshu Ishin Shishi." Kenshin looked up at her then away again to study a stain on the wall, trying to mask his pain. But Kaoru had seen his eyes widen with pain, then something shutter away behind them.

"Kenshin?" She asked hesitantly, leaning towards him. He grimaced and said in tones of finality, "Why would Battousai have any friends?"

The teen kendo instructor opened her mouth to say something positive, but Kenshin shook his head and pulled the blanket back around him. Kaoru realized he didn't want to talk anymore and stood up. "Good night Kenshin." She said, closing the door behind her.

The redhead sat alone in the darkness with only a thin blanket and sword to protect him from the nightmares that were closing in on him.

* * *

Sooo, how was it? Good I hope, more coming soon... and more charecters coming as well. Also any tips are appreciated.

Like I said the Japan photos are coming soon, I just have to finish uploading them onto my website. Ill put the link up when Im done.

Thanks to my reviewers:

amber-chick, starfruit, Yanikei, kenshinno1hk, bluekitsune, Kristy, Priestess, ruruken and auburnmoonlight

One more thing, I was thinking of making a profile thingy about myself in my profile, please tell me what you think!

dewa mata

mijichan


	6. Chapter 5

Reliving the Teens

Ch 6

Hello everyone! Sry it took so long... but multiple things came up. Hee hee. I know that you want to know but I won't let you know. Did anyone get that? Have fun reading this! Please review!

* * *

Kaoru woke up earlier then Kenshin, which was highly unusual, still disturbed by the early morning's events. She went out to the dojo, changed into her training gi and hakama and began practicing to work off her nerves. 

Yahiko found her still in there a few hours later, sitting and breathing heavily, against the wall still holding her bokken. He tiptoed over to her, peered down curiously into her face, then stepped back and shouted, "Wake up buso! You're supposed to be making breakfast, not sleeping!"

The girl jumped and her eyes snapped open. She stared, then stood up and gestured with her bokken at him, "Listen runt, why are you telling me to make breakfast when you always complain and whine when I do?"

Yahiko scowled, "Just make it okay? I'm hungry." The boy looked around, "Where's Kenshin? He's always up by now."

Kaoru sighed. "Something happened last night with Kenshin that I need to tell you and Sano about. Where is the rooster?" Yahiko looked surprised, "He's coming later, probably with the fox," he followed Kaoru into the kitchen. "What did you mean about Kenshin? What happened?"

"Not yet, I'm start-" Kaoru began telling him.

"Hey! Anyone home, I'm starving!" Sano's voice echoed as he walked into the dojo. Kaoru scowled, "We're in here rooster, keep your voice down. Kenshin's still sleeping." As she finished, the rooster showed up on the kitchen doorway.

"Kenshin's sleeping? He's usually up by now." Sano observed smartly, taking a banana and sat down to begin eating. "He had nightmares last night." Kaoru explained, causing Yahiko and Sano to stare at her.

"Nightmares?"

Kaoru nodded. "He kept apologizing about something, then apologized to his mother about how he 'turned out.'" She frowned. "That's when he woke up."

* * *

"Is anyone home? Kaoru? Yahiko?" An older voice asked from the yard, followed by childish laughter. 

"Dr Genzai?" Yahiko asked standing. He and Sano ran out into the yard, followed later by Kaoru who had to stop her cooking. In the yard stood the elder Dr Genzai, with his granddaughters Ayame and Suzume clutching at his pant legs, the elder one talking continuously.

The three visitors looked up as the awake dojo residents stopped in the yard. Ayame and Suzume shrieked with delight and ran at Kaoru.

"Auntie Kao! Auntie Kao!" They shouted as they hugged her legs and any other part of her they could reach. Kaoru laughed and kneeled down to their level. "Hi there!" She greeted, giving into their embraces.

"They missed you Kaoru." Dr Genzai smiled as he watched his granddaughters nearly tackle the girl to the ground, laughing.

"What's all the noise about?" Kenshin asked tiredly as he walked out of the dojo while rubbing his eyes. Ayame and Suzume scrambled off of Kaoru and ran at the redhead, immediately latching themselves onto him. "Uncle Ken! Uncle Ken!" They shouted happily, causing Kenshin to stare wide-eyed at them for several minutes, then smiled in a friendly manner.

"Hi there," he greeted, leaning down to ruffle both of their hair. "How are you two?" Ayame responded happily, "Uncle Ken! Grandpa said he was coming to visit you guys here and we decided to come too!" "Come too!" Suzume repeated, bouncing on her heels.

"Ayame, Suzume don't bother Himura too much." Dr Genzai warned, winking at Kenshin. "It seems that he just woke up."

Kenshin rubbed his head, his hand snagging on a few knots in his hair. "That is true, I wasn't expecting guests."

Ayame pulled on the red heads hand. "Play with us Uncle Ken, play with us," her little sister copied the gesture, "Play with us!" Kaoru stepped in, "I'm not sure that's a very good idea." When the girls turned to her with wide, pleading eyes, she relented, "Kenshin hasn't had breakfast yet."

"None of us have had breakfast yet." Sano pointed out hungrily, causing Kaoru to glare at him. "Who's going to make it?" Yahiko asked, looking around.

"It's alright, I'll play with the girls while Kaoru makes breakfast." When Kaoru turned surprised to look at him, while Yahiko and Sano gave him 'are you kidding me?' looks, the redhead added, "Kaoru's cooking isn't nearly as bad as Shishou's."

Dr Genzai laughed. "I should meet this Shishou of yours one day Himura, he sounds like an interesting man." Sano rolled his eyes, "Interesting is one word for it."

"Uncle Ke-en!" Ayame whined, pulling at his hand again. "I wanna play!" The girl's sister echoed her. "Play, play!"

The redhead nodded. "Alright, what do you want to play?" When they looked confused he named off a few, "ring around, duck duck, tag," he stopped when Ayame shook her head, "No! We wanna play Horsie!" "Yeah, Horsie!"

Kenshin grimaced, "Uncle Ken's back isn't up to that I'm afraid. I know, what about a new game?" Suzume nodded. "New?"

Kaoru smiled as she watched the fourteen year old play and talk with the girls. "I never knew he was so good with children." She commented. "Although he has always had fun with Ayame and Suzume."

"Surprising that a man without a childhood is good with children." Dr Genzai commented, causing Yahiko to turn and stare at him. "What makes you think he didn't?"

"A man who, at the age of 13, can become a hitokiri would not be the kind who would have had a childhood." Dr Genzai explained, causing Kaoru to hiss at him. "It's true."

Sano shook his head. "Not for Kenshin."

* * *

Meanwhile the redhead had sat down in the yard, forming a small, triangular circular with the girls. "Kaoru, Sano, Yahiko, Dr Genzai if you want to join in, you're surely welcome to," he called, then turned back to hush the chattering girls. 

"I'll join you." Kaoru announced, walking over to and sitting down next to Ayame who moved politely away. "Me too." Sano said, joining as well. Kenshin looked up when the rooster sat down. "Aren't you a little too old for kid games?"

Sano scowled. "Jou-chan's around my age, why don't you tell her off?" The redhead smiled. "Because women will always be little girls at heart."

"Uncle Ke-en!" Suzume whined, pulling on Kenshin's sleeve. "Teach, teach!"

The redhead hushed her with a finger to his lips. "Shhh Suzume, we'll start. Now put your hand under mine. Yep that's it," he turned to Ayame who smiled at him. "Ayame, put yours on top of mine, mm hmm, then your other hand under Kaoru's and so on around the circle."

His fellow game-players exchanged looks, except for the two young girls, but did as he had said. "Alright then, now part of the game is lightly touching, but not slapping each others hands. Like this," Kenshin swung his arm so his hand landed on top of Ayame's, then he gently moved her arm so the three year olds landed on Kaoru's. "Everyone get it?"

"Mm hmm." Kaoru nodded and Ayame and Suzume gave a chorus of 'yeps!'

Kenshin smiled, "Okay we're almost done. Now there's a song that goes along with the game, but you don't have to worry about it. Last thing is that in the song we count to ten, and on ten you don't want your hand to be slapped, so you yank it away."

"Kenshin, I think we should start before this game gets even more complicated." She pleaded, waving his hand in the air.

"Hey, spiky hair guy, put your hands back!" Suzume protested, glaring at him. Sano growled and did indeed replace his hands.

"Never argue with a three year old, rooster." Kaoru advised the nineteen year old who stuck his tongue out at her. "Real mature Sano."

"Can we start now?" Kenshin asked mock-impatiently. His friends glanced up at him and blushed. "Yeah, sorry." Sano apologized, making Kaoru roll her eyes.

* * *

There was a knock at the gate and Yahiko turned to answer it but Kaoru leapt up and ran ahead of him. "I'll get it." She told Yahiko as the kendo instructor neared the gate and opened it. 

When Kaoru saw who their visitor was, she scowled. "What do you want, wolf?" Saito smirked at her and drew on his cigarette.

"It's nice to see you too tanuki," he greeted, causing Kaoru to scowl and glare. "Answer my _question_ Saito." Kaoru demanded, hands on her hips.

Saito slightly shifted his grip on the sword he was carrying. "You don't have to shout tanuki, I can hear you perfectly well. I'm here to see the Battousai, I want to talk to him."

Kaoru frowned, this would be the absolutely worst time for Kenshin to see Saito, especially since the fourteen year old version of Kenshin didn't know the wolf wasn't an enemy, you never knew with the wolf.

"You can't Saito, now will you leave on your own or will I have to drag you away from my dojo!"

The wolf just chuckled mockingly, threw his cigarette onto the ground and grinded it into the dirt with his shoe. "I need to see him tanuki, go fetch."

Kaoru growled slightly at him, "Listen wolf, I told you already, Kenshins _busy_," she stepped forward until she was nearly eye to eye with wolf, except by standing on her tiptoes, "come back tomorrow Saito."

The wolf continued the glaring contest until he chuckled and turned partially away from her, lighting up another cigarette.

"Those things are going to kill you, you know." Kaoru commented knowledgably, folding her arms.

Saito laughed, "they haven't yet," he sighed, "Very well tanuki, I'll come back tomorrow. But Battousai had better see me tomorrow," he walked off, smoking his cigarette, down the road unconsciously twirling his sword. (;p)

Kaoru rolled her eyes and stepped back, shutting the gate. Yahiko looked up as she walked by and asked, "who was it?" She shook her head. "No one," her student looked doubtful and curious but didn't question her farther. Kaoru walked over to where Kenshin and Ayame were finally finishing their game, it seemed Sano and Suzumi had lost in earlier rounds.

The two players were seated facing each other, the redhead singing the song while they clapped their hands together. Just as Kenshin counted to ten Ayame moved her hands away from his, causing the redhead to hang his head in defeat. The five year old looked worriedly at him and slowly moved towards him.

"Uncle Ken?" She questioned, gently brushing his hair away from his face to reveal the smiling fourteen year old. "You win." Kenshin announced, raising his head.

"Yay! I won, I won, I won!" Ayame shouted, clapping her hands together. Kenshin smiled and rose to his feet.

"Who was at the gate Kaoru?" He questioned as Ayame and Suzume danced in circles around him. She jumped and turned, "Huh?" Kenshin shook his head. "Never mind, I'll go start breakfast."

"Himura, you do know that you don't have to do everything around here. Kaoru should have a chance to improve her household skills." Dr Genzai interrupted, smiling slightly at the redhead.

Kaoru groaned, "why does everyone pick on me?" She saw Yahiko open his mouth to answer and shook her head. "Don't you dare?"

* * *

Yippe-yay! Well, what did y'all think? I know that everyone's waiting for Hiko to show up and he will... next chapter... I promise and yes I'm sure cause I already wrote it. But you'll have to wait... hee hee.

For those who are interested I put a bio up in my profile if you want to read it, and there's new story news, a link to pics from Japan and a link to my homepage. Please check it out!

Thanks to all those who reviewed:

(12 Reviews!)

Kristy, LadyOfWolves, ruruken15, bluekitsune, TeZukAb0ch0u, amber-chick, Yanikei, starfruit-22, Priestess, Sesshoumaru Minion, The Happiest Celery Stalk and Sesshoumaru Minion

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Don't forget to review! Please?

See you next chapter,

mijichan


	7. Chapter 6

Reliving the Teens

Ch 7

mijichan: Now here's the person all of you have been waiting for! (long pause) ME!

Hiko: (growls and draws sword slightly) Do you want to change that?

mijichan: (gulps)(shakes head bravely) Nope!

Hiko: Fine, then... Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu... Doryusen! (sry if thats spelled wrong!)

mijichan: (crumpled face down on ground) Oro...

Hiko: Now say it again (puts sword to mijichans throat)

mijichan: Help! Help! (looks around, no one's nearby) (sigh) Alright, alright! Move your sword!

Hiko: (sheathes sword)

mijichan: (coughs) And now here's the person you've all been waiting for: HIKO SEIJIRO! (sry if spelled wrong!)

Hiko: Thank you (walks away)

mijichan: Don't forget to review! Please?

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The next morning Kenshin woke up early and quietly began making breakfast alone in the kitchen. When Kaoru came in, he greeted her enthusiastically but afterwards acted distantly towards her to Kaoru's dislike and confusion. She clearly remembered the events of the last night, and kept glancing worriedly at Kenshin, as if afraid that he would crack.

Soon Sano and Yahiko had woken up and half an hour later the four were seated outside in the yard, devouring the meal that Kenshin, with limited help from Kaoru, had made. The usual chaos soon took place, Kaoru and Yahiko fell to arguing while Sano ate most of the remaining food and Kenshin silently observed them.

This was broken by a loud, insistent knock from across the courtyard on the gate. They all stopped and turned to stare, except for Kenshin who continued calmly sipping his tea. After a silent pause there was another knock, this one even more insistent.

Finally Kaoru sighed and stood up, "I suppose I should answer that." She smoothed her kimono and walked to the gate with the other two cautiously watching her back.

At the gate Kaoru slowly pushed back the lock and swung the door open to reveal…

"Not you again. When I said come back tomorrow I didn't mean this early in the morning." Kaoru scolded Saito who smirked and drew on his cigarette. "That's just it tanuki, you never specified a time." He flapped a white gloved hand at her. "Go fetch Battousai and don't lie to me and say he's sleeping, I know he's not."

Kaoru opened her mouth to reply smartly when she heard someone stop behind her. She let out the breath she hadn't known she had been holding when Kenshin quietly spoke behind her.

"Miss Kaoru? Are you alright, I thought-" His voice grew icy when the redhead saw who she was talking to. "Saito."

The wolf smirked, "Hello to you to Battousai." He bobbed his head slightly and lightly fingered the hilt of his sword. "I need to talk to you. Follow me."

"No." Kenshin responded firmly, staying where he was. Saito turned to glare at the redhead when his orders weren't followed.

Kaoru gently wrapped her arms around Kenshins left arm. "He's not one of your police lackeys Saito, you can't order Kenshin around." Kenshin bristled slightly as the touch but didn't pull away as he normally would.

The wolf noticed this and smirked slightly. "How old are you Battousai? Not older then fifteen I expect, you still act like a hitokiri." Kenshin stiffened but continued to watch Saito emotionlessly.

"Don't try and trick me Battousai," he smirked, "I'm not leaving until I get what I want." Kaoru glared at him, gripping the redheads arm tighter.

"And what would that be?" Kenshin asked icily, ignoring the pain in his arm from Kaoru as he carefully observed the wolf before him.

The sight that met his eyes could only be described as eerie. This 'future version' of the wolf had shorter hair, his clothing… Kenshin wrinkled his nose, the Shishengumi were considered somewhat of a police force of Kyoto. But that didn't really bother him, what did was that now he had seen how much Saito had changed, he was worried how, and if, his shishou had changed. Then again, it was odd talking to an older wolf, for time had clearly changed him, most obvious by the slightly hoarser quality in his voice, although that might be more from the cigarettes like the one he was smoking now.

"Off daydreaming Battousai?" Saitou's voice had a slight teasing note in it. "You should be careful, you never know when someone will attack you." One the last two words Saito suddenly drew his sword and lunged at Kenshin who barely had enough time to draw the sakabato and block.

Kaoru stood off to the side, biting her nail in worry for Kenshin. She sincerely hoped this wouldn't have the same result as Kenshin and Saito's last fight. "Be careful Kenshin," she warned. The redhead nodded before having to dodge, block and counter another attack from the wolf.

"I swear you have an obsession with fighting police officers baka deshi."

The two fighters stopped and looked up, and Kaoru did as well, to see a towering figure standing in the gate. Kenshin lowered his sword, staring at the man who was his shishou. With the exception of a few new lines on his face the man was the same as Kenshin remembered, with the annoyed scowl and all. "Shishou." He whispered.

Hiko glanced at him before turning to Saito with an angry frown. "And just what do you think you're doing to my baka deshi?"

The wolf sheathed his sword to take a cigarette out of his pocket, light it and put it to his mouth. "Nothing that concerns you, sir." He responded curtly, causing Hiko to scowl.

"Are you sure about that, because I saw you attacking my deshi, for what seemed to me no reason." Hiko said coldly, eyes flicking to Saito's sword and then to Kenshin.

Saito managed to look slightly surprised. "_Your_ deshi?" He asked, turning to study the redhead with a smirk. "Well, well Battousai, you never mentioned _this_."

"Don't call him that!" Kaoru shouted angrily, stepping closer to Kenshin. "That's not his name."

The wolf smirked at her and ran a hand through his hair, "Think whatever you want, tanuki." Saito turned and began walking towards the gate. "Don't think this will be the last of me Battousai, I'll be back." He silently went past Hiko and turned down the lane.

There was awkward silence between the three until Hiko said impatiently, "Alright baka deshi out with it. What was that about?" But Kenshin didn't respond, even under his shishou's stern gaze he stayed silent. Kaoru sighed and lightly patted the redhead on his shoulder, vaguely noticing when he flinched slightly. "I'm going to go clean up Kenshin, come in when you're ready." She told him quietly then took her hand away and walked back into the dojo.

"Well boy?" Hiko asked, leaning down to glare at the top of Kenshins head. He tried to place the boys emotion by reading his ki but there was no hint of anything in it. The despairing adult shook his head, "I came all the way Tokyo to see you but when I arrive this is the reception I get."

Kenshins head came up at the mention of Tokyo, his eyes wide with confusion. "Tokyo?" Hiko snorted, "Yes, here. Tokyo, the capital, _where you live_."

The red head shook his head, "Tokyo? But the capital," he broke off, looking confused at the area around him. Hiko sighed impatiently, "Yes, what about the capital baka?"

"Kyoto's the capital, isn't it shishou?" kenshin asked overwhelmed, quickly returning to his ground gazing after he heard the man choke.

After Hiko was able to breathe normally again he squatted down and scrutinized the redhead. A few minutes later he asked calmly, "How old are you baka deshi?" Kenshin winced and looked up at him, mask in place.

"Fourteen." He mumbled, bangs shadowing his eyes. Hiko leaned in closer and said, "don't mumble boy, speak up. No one will pay attention to you if they can't hear."

Kenshin glared directly at the man, "I'm fourteen shishou. You heard me."

Hiko took the moment to smirk mischievously as he closely studied his baka deshi. Outwardly he had the same blazing red hair and slight feminine form, along with a quick temper and emotional blue eyes, except now there was a blank mask shielding them. Hiko sighed, the boy had only left year and a half ago but there was already damage visible to him. Of course if someone _didn't_ look beyond the mask and slight differences in appearance the fourteen year old could be easily mistaken for his older counterpart.

When Kenshin coughed quietly Hiko realized he had been staring at the boy. "Are you going to invite me in baka, or will I have to stand here all day?" The swordsman covered the silence with a question, sounding more annoyed then the worried he really was.

The redhead jumped slightly and looked around, then after a few seconds shyly stepped aside to make room for Hiko to walk inside. After they were both standing in the yard, Kenshin closed and locked the gate, then stood in place looking everywhere except at his shishou.

"So, what have you told them?" Hiko asked impatiently, breaking the silence between them. Kenshin's head rose to stare at him. "Huh?"

Hiko rolled his eyes and lightly cuffed the boy, "Don't play dumb with me boy. What do they know so far?" Kenshin looked at him surprised then answered, "About me? That I'm fourteen."

"Nothing else?" Hiko asked surprised, studying the boy. Kenshin shook his head. "What else would I tell them?" He asked tartly. "About your past." Hiko added, then when the redhead opened his mouth to argue he amended, "_Everything_ about your past."

Kenshin scoffed, "Why would they want to know about that?" Hiko glared at him. "Why? Because they're your friends, and, believe it or not, they care about you."

The redhead shook his head. "I don't have any friends. Instead everyone's afraid of me." He laughed grimly, "I'm a hitokiri, who wouldn't be?"

Hiko frowned annoyed, "Kaoru's not scared of you, neither are Sano or Yahiko." When the boy didn't respond he asked impulsively, "What about those three girls who gave their lives for you?"

Kenshin tore his eyes away from his shishou's, but Hiko had seen the boy's eyes darken and the man frowned as he faced the empty mask again. "You should have let me die back then, I've done no good in my life." The redhead muttered to himself.

His shishou bit his tongue to hold back a retort and studied the boy. "How long have you been a hitokiri?" He asked softly, trying to ignore the boys last comment.

"A little more then a year." Kenshin whispered, looking at the ground and scuffing his shoe in the dirt. "So you're closer fifteen then fourteen," Hiko reasoned, and quietly acknowledged the boys slight nod.

The awkward silence resumed between them until Hiko remarked, "they do care about you, you know." Kenshin glared at him, "not for me."

Hiko laughed. "Then why, when you go missing do they go crazy trying to find you? Last time I couldn't get rid of them for a _week_." The man frowned. "They're very persistent."

"I told you, not about me." Kenshin argued, then looked annoyed. "It's for _him_."

"What are you talking about baka?"

Kenshin sighed nosily, "They don't care about me. They care about _him_, some person I _might_ become _if _I live through the war." He grimaced. "Why _would_ they care, they don't know anything about me."

Hiko snorted. "That's because you haven't given them a chance to get to know you. You need to tell them about yourself."

The redhead tilted his head and smirked. "Since when have you become a counsellor, shishou?" Hiko glared at him. "Quiet boy, you've never had any people skills either." Kenshin scoffed and turned away.

"So when will you tell them?"

Kenshin sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "The whole point is to not tell them anything." The man shook his head, "Now that's just being lazy baka."

"It is not!" He snarled angrily, glaring up at his foster father. "They don't want to hear it from _me_, they want it from _him_!"

Hiko studied the boy in front of him, and through the anger blazing in the cold blue eyes he saw a broken kid, who was quickly losing hope.

"You're the same person kid. You _are_ him." The man emphasized, snapping at the boy. But Kenshin shook his head, staring at the ground. "Kenshin look at me."

To his surprise instead of looking up, his deshi hissed angrily between his teeth. "Don't call me that!" He snapped. Hiko raised his eyebrows and leaned in. "What's wrong with the name I gave you? What happened to the boy I took in and trained?"

"I've killed him." Kenshin's voice was hardly a whisper and Hiko actually looked surprised. Before his shishou could respond, the redhead turned on his heel and silently walked back into the dojo and Hiko felt him continue to his room, the anger and sadness in his ki evident.

"Darn it," he cursed angrily. Hiko had known that the boy was losing himself to the war, but he hadn't known his deshi had fallen so far already. He sighed and gave into his stubborn side, he walked into the dojo, ignored Kaoru's greeting and went straight to Kenshin's room, pushing the door open with more force then necessary.

The apprentice didn't look up as he came in, or when the door closed with another bang. It took for Hiko to stand next to him and glare before Kenshin tore his gaze away from the window and then he only said, "Go away shishou."

Hiko sighed and leaned against the wall facing the boy, "And why would I do that?" He snickered. "You're smaller than I remember."

The redhead turned to glare at him but his master saw the small smile hidden beneath the glare. "I'm not small." Kenshin commented scornfully. Hiko snorted, "Sure you're not."

Kenshin, being wise, kind of, in the ways of his shishou decided to ignore Hiko's last comment.

"Will you at least tell them about your parents?" When Kenshin looked up surprised, he added. "I know you haven't gotten around to that, don't deny it." The man silently sighed with relief when he noticed that the boy had come partly out from behind his mask.

"Maybe."

He looked down at his apprentice when he spoke and saw that the boy was actually contemplating telling his friends. Maybe he was coming around to his senses. "Well at least you may still have a brain in that head of yours."

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Thanks shishou. Believe it or not I've always had a brain, you've just never realized it."

"Right." Hiko commented, partially in denial; sometimes he wasn't so sure.

"Kenshin! Hiko-san!" Kaoru's voice came from somewhere inside the dojo. "Breakfast!"

The redhead leapt off the ledge and stood next to his shishou. "Have you been warned about Kaoru's cooking?" He asked, making a face.

"Yes, thank goodness, I have." He followed the boy out of the room and into the hall. "I don't know how anyone can cook so horribly."

Kenshin smirked back at the man as they walked. "I know someone shishou," he announced suggestively. Hiko raised an eyebrow and the redhead continued his thoughts, "You. I'm sure you couldn't cook a meal to save a person's life shishou." Kenshin snickered loudly.

Hiko growled at him and took off after his mischievous and annoying deshi, admitting only to himself that he was glad to see that Kenshin was slowly returning to the boy he remembered. The one who wasn't comepletly scarred by the turmoil of war.

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So... how was it? I apologize for the randomness at the begining... I have no idea what came over me!

Hiko: I do... It was... ICE CREAM!

mijichan: Ice cream? Where? Where!

Hiko: (shakes head and walks away... again)

Alright... more randomness! And no I havent had any ice cream... its 11 in the morning who do you think I am... Misao?

Thanks so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it, I love writing dialogue between Hiko and Kenshin... its sooooo fun! I hope I did a good enough job to make everyone happy! (bows) Thanks to Yanikei as well for beta-ing all my stories... and putting up with me! ;p

Thanks to all my reviewers:

Sesshoumaru Minion, Yanikei, book-manga-freak, Kristy-chan, hypermikogirl, amber-chick, bluekitsune251, AuburnMoonlight, Draconic Ban-Sidhe and TeZukAb0ch0u

THANK YOU! 10 REVIEWS! YOU ROCK!

Thanks again! Don't forget to review... or I'll send Hiko after you! And if he's too busy getting drunk I'll send Kenshin!

sya,

mijichan


	8. Chapter 7

Reliving the Teens

Ch 8

Hey everyone! throws confetti in the air then stares at all the blank looks Kay, never mind. Well I know I said that this would take a while... and it did... sry about that. But I typed it in two stages... and it took awhile.

Anyways enough blabbing! Have fun reading and please REVIEW!

* * *

Sano, who had reappeared from wherever he had ventured off to at Kaoru's call of 'breakfast,' looked up as a red blur raced into the room and past him, then dissolved into Kenshin as the redhead sat down next to him.

A few seconds later, a grumpy Hiko entered and frowned at his deshi as he sat down across from the boy. Sano looked back and forth at Hiko and Kenshin, who snickered, then asked, "What's up with you two?"

Hiko glared at the redhead then glanced over at Sano. "The baka there insulted my cooking, not as if mine is worse then someone else I know."

Sano raised his eyebrows, "if you mean Kenshin, his food's awesome. Much, much better then Jou-chan's." The red head smiled innocently at his shishou, causing the man to scowl darkly at him.

Before Hiko could respond Kaoru entered the room carrying a pot of something that gave off a very burnt smell. She set it down in the center of the circle and smiled at Kenshin. "Here's what's left of it, enjoy!"

Hiko looked like he was trying not to laugh or snort and Sano was evidently biting his tongue. The redhead quickly shook his head at them and spooned some of the food on his plate, then took a bite of it.

"Well?" Kaoru asked eagerly, leaning towards Kenshin who nodded, a hand over his mouth. "Yay!" She squealed happily and began spooning some onto Sano and Hiko's plate.

"Where's Yahiko?" The rooster asked with his mouth full of some unknown food. Kaoru hit him over the head with the platter, "don't talk with your mouth full rooster!"

Sano scowled at her, rubbing the back of his head, "Jou-chan! That hurt!" Hiko raised an eyebrow at his deshi who nodded and managed to swallow another mouthful of the food. "It was supposed to baka!"

When they had been able to choke down the food Kaoru had made, and survived, Hiko cleared his throat loudly which made Kaoru jump, Sano stare and Kenshin look alarmed then vigorously shake his head.

"Cone on boy, you said you would." Hiko reminded him, which made Kenshin's eyes turn very cold blue and the mask return.

"I said maybe!"

Hiko snorted, "In most cases 'maybe' means 'yes.'" He declared which made the redhead make a very odd muffled snort or cry, and after a fewspluttering noises he shouted,

"Well this isn't one of those times!"

Sano's eyebrows rose when Kenshin, who only raised his voice when he went Battousai, shouted for the second time in less then five minutes. Kaoru looked worriedly at the redhead and questioned, "Kenshin, are you feeling alright?"

Kenshin forcibly smiled at her, "Yes Kaoru, I'm fine." He said, trying his best not to snap at the poor girl. But he quickly reminded himself that it wasn't for him that she cared for and the smile dissolved into the mask.

"Tell them baka." Hiko ordered sternly, scowling at the redhead who looked calmly back. They had a staring contest for several minutes, during which Sano and Kaoru exchanged confused glances, and the end result being Kenshin abruptly standing up and storming off into the dojo.

Hiko sighed annoyed and shook his head. "What a stubborn baka." He stood up and began to go after Kenshin when Kaoru spoke. "Hiko-san, what was it Kenshin was going to tell us about?"

"That's for him to tell you." He answered shortly and then continued on.

He went inside the dojo and then paused uncertainly in the doorway, for some reason he couldn't find the boy's ki. After waiting for a few minutes there was a sudden flare in a ki Hiko recognized as Kenshin's from the roof. Wondering what was with the boy and heights, the man walked through the dojo and exited at the back, then turned to face the roof.

"I know you're up there Kenshin, come over here and face me." Hiko called at the roof, making sure his voice carried. There was a muffled noise and a few seconds later the redhead was sitting near the edge of the rood with no noise to accompany his arrival. Silently the shishou congratulated the boy on his skills.

"I told you not to call me that shishou, I don't deserve that name." The redhead snarled, glaring with cold blue eyes.

"Kenshin? Hiko-san?" Kaoru's voice called from inside the dojo, sounding worried. After he glanced at the structure below him Kenshin asked, "how did you know I was up here shishou?"

"You can mask your ki, but not that well." Hiko scolded, rolling his eyes. "Hiko-san?" Kaoru walked over to stand near him. "Who are you talking to?"

Hiko pointed up at the roof. "The baka trying to hide up there."

"I'm not hiding!" Kenshin protested, but Kaoru turned and eyed him worriedly. "Are you feeling all right Kenshin?" The redhead gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry Kaoru, I'm fine."

Hiko snorted but checked his tongue, hoping to give his deshi a chance to see that Kaoru really did care.

"Are you sure?" She walked closer to him, peering anxiously at him. "You do look a little pale," Kaoru continued.

"I'm fine, Kaoru." Kenshin said shortly, trying not to snap at the girl. When he heard Kaoru gasp, obviously _her_ Kenshin never snapped, he realized how he had sounded and bent his head, kneading his forehead. "I'm sorry Kaoru, I didn't mean to snap at you."

The girl smiled hopefully at him, "It's alright Kenshin, I wasn't thinking. I," She stopped talking, instead nervously wringing her hands.

The redhead shook his head, "It was very kind of you Kaoru, I'm grateful." Hiko frowned at his deshi and commented quietly, "You don't deserve her baka deshi, she's too good for you." Kaoru turned, fists clenched, to give the man a piece of her mind and Kenshin looked surprised, then ashamed and settled on glaring at Hiko who smirked knowingly back.

"What was the heck do you mean by that!" Kaoru exclaimed angrily, growling. The redhead turned surprised, almost no one except him talked back to his master. "So what if Kenshin was a hitokiri during the war; now he's not and he's _helping people_. The war was an entirely different thing, _Kenshin_ was an entirely different person back then and he's changed now. None of that matters anymore."

Hiko arched an eyebrow at his deshi. "Now will you tell her baka?" When Kenshin didn't look at him or answer, he continued, "Did you hear her Kenshin, or are you deaf too?"

The redhead glanced at the man with hard eyes and Hiko inwardly winced at the expression, or lack of, on the boys face. But just as quickly Kenshin looked away again.

"I told you not to call me that." He hissed quietly, tilting his head down so the long bangs hid his face. Kaoru bit her lip and walked closer to the edge of the roof. "Kenshin, why, why don't you like that name anymore? I, I _think_ it suits you."

The redhead sighed, "I don't deserve it, I'm not a swordsman anymore…I'm a murderer. That name belongs to someone who uses his sword for _good_, not for killing people like me."

Hiko, who had heard a part of this argument before, raised his eyebrows surprised at how convinced the baka was of his worthlessness. Kaoru meanwhile gasped softly and whispered, "Kenshin." Did he really feel that conflicted about his name, so much that when he was a hitokiri he felt like he didn't live up to it?

"You are hopeless sometimes baka." Hiko muttered softly, but if his deshi heard it went ignored.

"Kenshin, what was it you wanted to tell me? Before, when Hiko-san," Kaoru began, feeling a strong urge to go up and hold the teen, but Hiko put a hand on her shoulder, "this might not be the best time for that."

"No, no." The redhead whispered soundlessly, not turning to them. They both looked up startled, but Kenshin didn't react.

Finally, after a long pause he spoke again, "Shishou, please leave us for a moment."

Hiko smirked, "this must be the first time you've asked me to do something so politely." Kenshin sighed, "please Shishou." The man nodded and walked back into the dojo, leaving the pair alone.

"Kenshin, if you're going to talk with me would you please come down from there?" Kaoru asked in an annoyed tone, but the redhead nodded, stood up and jumped off the room to land lightly beside the girl.

When Kenshin didn't speak again, she walked up to him and asked softly, "Kenshin?" The teen flinched, but looked up from the ground.

"Miss Kaoru, what have I told you about myself in this era?" The redhead asked quietly and emotionlessly, telling himself to maintain his self-control.

Kaoru stared at him confused, "what do you mean Kenshin?" Behind the door Hiko smacked his forehead, and they thought his deshi was dense!

Kenshin still wouldn't look at her, "I mean what do you know about me, my past, my childhood…" His voice drifted off and he inwardly scoffed, as if he had actually had one. But he had promised his master that he would tell, no matter how hard it was.

"Well," the girl bit her lip, "Hiko took you in and you trained together for a few years, then something happened and you joined the war as a hitokiri. But during one of the last battles you disappeared, leaving your katana stuck in the dirt, and ten years later I met you as a rurouni."

The teen silently went over this information in his head, 'so I leave the war before its finished, but it seems like it turns out the way Katsura-san wanted.' He thought hopefully, meanwhile maintaining his mask. "There's more to it then that, and it's a little more complicated."

Kaoru looked up startled, eyebrows furrowing. She noticed that he seemed detached even though he was talking about himself.

"The reason that Shishou adopted me, if you can call it that, is," he paused, pulling his emotions together, "when I was five my parents died of cholera. A week or so later a group of slavers arrived in our village and captured the remaining children. I was with them for a little more then a year when we were attacked by bandits. The adults were killed immediately and then the children were rounded up. Three girls from my village who had been looking after me managed to unlock our chains and we ran. But one bandit came after us and waved his gun around, threatening to kill me; the girls stood in front of me, protecting me, but one by one the bandit killed them. They fell by my feet, pleading with me with their last breath to save myself and to be strong and brave." His voice caught and Kaoru saw the pain and sadness visible for the first time in his eyes.

"I would have died along with them if Shishou hadn't appeared right as one of the bandits swung clumsily at me with his sword; Shishou blocked it and proceeded to kill the rest of the bandits. When they were all dead, Shishou came back to where I was still sitting and told me to go to the next town, that they would give me food and a place to stay." Kenshin smiled slightly, "then he left, just like that. I decided that before I went to the town I should bury all the bodies."

Kaoru gasped. "You buried all those people by yourself?"

Kenshin nodded, "it took a week, but I got all of them buried. Just as I was finishing the last of the graves for those three girls, Shishou returned. I told him what I had done and he poured sake onto the girls' graves, then he asked me my name and I replied, but he said it was too soft for a swordsman and renamed me. Then to my surprise he said that I would come and live with him and he would teach me his sword style." The redhead chuckled softly, "that was how I met Hiko Seijuro."

Opposite him Kaoru gasped and dabbed at her eyes. "Kenshin, I never knew." She choked, "I'm so sorry." The girl walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his thin body, then rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

* * *

sniff Didja like it? If anyone's wondering thats my take on his past... sorry if its not totally correct. But isn't that cute them hugging each other? chorus of 'awwwwwww's'

Anyways... thanks to my beta-reader Yanikei: I LUV YA GIRL! And my reviewers of course:

Chosha Kurenai, Faina, book-manga-freak, sweeteen19, bluekitsune251, TrisakAminawn(2), starfruit-22, TeZukAb0ch0u, Sesshoumaru Minion and Kristy-chan

YamiYugi342 thanks I'm glad you liked it! Really? Hmm, thats odd. ;p Woo hoo! Thnx!

AuburnMoonlight: were you really that lazy? Jk. Mm hmmm, well thanks very much!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the first time! Arigato!

Wow, the font changed... freaky!

Anyways... omake theater:

Kenshin walks into the kitchen where Hiko, Sano, Yahiko and Kaoru sit around telling stories...

Hiko: ... did Kenshin tell you about the time when he was ten and... stops to see why everyone staring at some one behind him, turns around Ah, I wondered when you were going to show up baka deshi.

Kenshin: with amber eyes SHishou why would you tell them about that! Do you want to embarass me behind any recovery!

Hiko: smirking of course!

Kenshin: rushes Hiko holding out his katana in front of him Doryu- in middle of the attack Hiko grabs him by the back of his gi and holds him up at eye level

Hiko: with Kenshin glaring amber-eyed at him Is that the best you can do baka? I could do better then that when I was half your age! Kenshin continues glaring Why are you so embarassed by those stories, if she's the one your going to marry she should know everything about you.

Kenshin and Kaoru: chokes with bug eyes

Hiko: still holding Kenshin up and points finger at screen And thats why I go around telling amusing stories about my baka deshi.. to make sure he'll stay with me forever and never marry any stupid girl.

Everyone: stares

Kenshin: shishou, do you really want me to stay with you?

Hiko: nervously Um...

Kenshin: runs up and glomps Hiko Shishou I didn't know you cared so much! I feel the same way! in a rush of words I can't believe it!

Sano: I can't believe he just said that...

Kaoru: nods

Hiko: lookign around confused What, what did I say? notices Kenshin hugging him Um, Kenshin... Kenshin looks up a little too close for comfort there... Kenshin backs away grinning Now, what did I say?

Everyone: sweatdrops

Kenshin: SHISHOU! runs and glomps again

Hiko: Ororo..

And thats the END! Hope you liked it... took me like five minutes to write it... heh heh heh...

Ja ne!

miji-chan


	9. Chapter 8

Reliving the Teens

Ch 9

Wow, this kinda took a long time didn't it? (covers ears to drown out loud screaming, ducks rotten tomatoes) OKAY OKAY! I get the hint! I AM sorry okay? sheesh (ducks) Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also for more information on everything about me (smiles vainfully) please check out my profile... NOT a waste of time!

Please enjoy!

* * *

During the night Kaoru woke up in total darkness due to the fact that she could hear someone whimpering, and thrashing around in their sleep. 

Worried, the girl stood up, wrapped her yukata more tightly around herself, and quietly walked out of her room, sliding the door shut behind her. Walkin down the hall, she paused at each door to listen for noise within. Finally she came to the end of the hall and the one room left was Kenshin's. They had planned on Hiko and his deshi sleeping the same room but the two had been at odds ever since their 'showdown' in the yard.

Kaoru paused at the door listening and heard soft cries coming from inside. She quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside, looking around the room to get her bearings.

Sitting against one of the walls, one leg resting against his chest and a sword propped against his shoulder, was Kenshin in his usual sleeping position. Kaoru sighed, one of these days she would convince Kenshin, or try to, to sleep on the futon with her.

The girl quietly walked over to the teen and kneeled in front of him. She watched him sleep for a moment; softly breathing in and out, his chest rising with each breath, his bangs shifting over his eyes. "Kenshin." She whispered and reached out to gently brush his soft hair away from his face, revealing pale skin. The girl froze when he shifted slightly by her touch, but then he went back to sleep and she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Kaoru." The redhead muttered and Kaoru quickly withdrew her hand, watching him carefully.

"Why, Kaoru?" He whispered and shifted his position slightly, his eyes still squeezed shut. Kaoru's eyebrows arched, "Why what?" She asked out loud, then stopped when she realized what she'd done.

But Kenshin responded in a whisper, not reacting to her question. "Why do you accept me so easily when no one else does?"

Kaoru sighed and smiled softly, "because I love you."

With a start, the redhead's eyes snapped open to reveal a cold, burning blue. But when he realized who it was the intensity faded to polite detachment.

"Are you all right Kenshin?" At his confused expression she explained, "you were having a nightmare."

"Ah." He responded quietly then looked away, "they're happening more and more often now," the redhead muttered to himself, but Kaoru heard.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have tried to help."

Kenshin laughed sourly, "Ah, but could you?"

The girl opened her mouth to answer, but realized that Kenshin wasn't expecting one and closed it again.

"I worry about you sometimes Kenshin." She admitted, resting her hand at her side. Kaoru ignored the barely hidden shock in his eyes. "You're always telling us not to worry about you, while you're constantly worry about us. We never know what's happening with you and you don't tell us if you're hurt." The girl sighed and shook her head, "I just feel like you aren't letting us know things. _Important_ things."

Kenshin opened his mouth to say something but realized that he had no response to that. The redhead settled on just looking at her with a blank expression.

Kaoru sighed. "Just like that. You need to tell me how you're feeling and if I'm doing something wrong." She smiled, "I guess we just need to communicate better."

The redhead inwardly sighed at how sincere she sounded and said, tilting his head down, "I'm sorry Kaoru, it's just that in the war I got used to not showing my emotions and now," his voice drifted off and Kaoru leaned closer worriedly, "it's hard to bring them back." Kenshin finished at a silent whisper.

"Ken-shin." Kaoru whispered quietly. "You don't have to be sorry, I just want you to talk to me." The redhead smiled slightly but was still unsure of whether to trust her or not. "Kenshin?" She questioned.

He looked away from her, "thank you for coming to see that I was alright Kaoru, but I'm fine now. You can return to you room."

Kaoru visibly winced at how harsh he sounded but instead of responding, she stood up, quietly said good night to the redhead and left the room.

The teen leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He didn't know if he could stand this anymore; all the offers of friendship were going to his head. Kenshin sighed and tried to attain to the peaceful sleep he needed.

* * *

Early that morning, a little after the sun rose Kenshin woke and quietly snuck out of his room and into the dojo. Once there, he took a katana from the wall, paused for a moment to look around and then walked outside to the side yard. 

The redhead stopped in the middle, took a deep breath and slid the sword through a loop in his hakama. He closed his eyes; hand poised over the hilt then abruptly began his kata practice.

Kenshin began with easy techniques then moved onto the more advanced ones, slowly gaining speed as he continued. The youth had been practicing for almost ten minutes when someone rudely interrupted him.

"You've gotten sloppy baka, that was far too slow."

He stopped in mid-stride, lowered the sword and turned towards the source of the scolding voice. It was no surprise to see his shishou leaning against the side of the house watching him.

"Sorry shishou, but its not like I've had time to practice lately," the teen snarled sarcastically. The older man 'hmph'-ed and walked over to stand slightly behind his deshi.

"Try it again, _faster_ this time deshi. Perhaps you will be able to _do _it smoothly too." He mocked and pointed at the katana with a thick finger. Kenshin glared at him but turned back again, closing his eyes and started over under the 'guidance' of his shishou.

* * *

Kaoru, Sano and Yahiko woke up to loud yelling and the clanging of metal on metal coming from just outside the house. 

They met in the hallway, all still in their sleeping clothes with sleep-filled eyes.

"What on earth is that?" Sano exclaimed, yawning loudly and stretching his arms above his head.

"I don't know but it's sure _loud_." Yahiko complained, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"Let's go see what it is." Kaoru instructed and lead the way for the other two as the group walked down the hallway, out of the house and to the side yard.

The sight that met their eyes made the three stop right in their tracks.

"Woah." Yahiko exclaimed his eyes wide with delight and amazement.

Hiko was chiding the redhead as Kenshin attacked and defended against his master, responding to the continuous insults with sharp, angry retorts.

But, what was truly amazing was how fast the two were moving while dealing with the distractance of speaking.

After a few minutes shishou and deshi fell back, the redhead was breathing heavily and Hiko gazed upon him with his usual superior smirk.

"Still too slow baka. If you don't move faster you'll be hurt while trying to attack." By now Kenshin was glaring heatedly at the much taller man. "And what was with those strokes, were you trying to chop me to bits?"

Kenshin visibly ground his teeth then dashed at him with an angry "shishou!" He tried to strike at the man from the side and then from the air, but Hiko easily blocked the katana and with a swift flick of his wrist made the redhead fly back towards the dojo.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru called worriedly, but the teen flipped in midair, causing him to land lightly in a crouch on the roof. He sheathed the sword and shifted into a battojutsu stance.

Hiko smirked but also sheathed his sword, standing completely still, waiting.

With a shout Kenshin ran to the edge of the roof, then kicked off from the side to fly through the air. He unsheathed the sword in a quick motion and cut at his shishou… except the man wasn't there.

Worriedly the redhead dropped to the ground, leaving his sword out and looked around him. Not a moment too soon, he sensed Hiko above him and raised the katana to protect himself as the man bore harshly down on him. His shishou flashed a smirk as he hit the sword with all his strength, shattering the blade. He then felled Kenshin with a single, fluid move so that the boy laid on his back between Hiko's legs, angrily glaring at the man with the broken katana held tightly in his hand.

"Still can't beat me baka, what a disappointment." Hiko mocked, then removed his sword from the boy's throat and allowed him to scramble to his feet.

Kenshin absently brushed the dirt off of his clothes and dropped the broken hilt onto the ground. "I suspect that won't happen until you teach me the succession technique shishou."

"If you get that far baka." Hiko commented with his usual superior smirk. The redhead started, looking up at the man with wide blue eyes, surprising everyone with his public show of emotion. But a few seconds later the doubt, dwelling at the corners of his eyes, seeped in and the mask replaced the surprised expression. He whispered under his breath, "you mean if I stay alive that long," looking at the ground.

Hiko was the only one close enough to hear, but instead of making his usual sarcastic comment he chose to stay quiet. Didn't the boy understand that if his twenty-eight year old counterpart was alive in this time then he would be too? He glanced at the boy, obviously not.

"Kenshin," Kaoru whispered softly, taking a few more steps towards the redhead. He ignored her, his features formed into an angry frown.

"If you keep talking like that baka you _won't_ live that long, despite the fact that there's one of you living here at the dojo in this time."

At this comment, Kenshin opened his mouth to yell, but a few seconds later he closed it again.

No one spoke for a few minutes until the teen finally mumbled angrily, "I'm going to go walk around town. Don't follow me."

With that, as the others watched, he strode over to the fence and easily jumped over it, clearing the top. They heard the crunching of dirt on the other side but it soon faded away.

After a moments breath Yhaiko commented, "Wow that was amazing! I've never seen Kenshin actually practice before."

Hiko made a disagreeable noise then turned sharply to Kaoru. "Did something happen with you two last night Kamiya?"

Kaoru, who had been daydreaming worrying about Kenshin, looked over at him. "Huh?" After the man repeated himself, she hung her head shyly. "Well actually,"

"Kamiya," Hiko said warningly.

The girl sighed, how had Kenshin lived with this man? "last night I woke up to the sound of someone crying. When I went out into the hall I found out the sound was coming from Kenshin's room. I went inside and found him leaning against the wall like he usually sleeps, but he was clearly having a nightmare; he continuously called out for his mother. Then he said my name and asked me 'why?' Why do I accept him."

She looked up at Hiko, a wide-eyed Yahiko and Sano with a shy smile and eyes brimming with tears.

"So I told him the truth."

Hiko sighed, "Which was what?"

There was a moment's pause in which you could hear a pin drop.

"That I love him."

Hiko smirked, "I bet he didn't take that well."

Kaoru frowned and shook her head, "No he didn't. Kenshin woke up after I said that, he looked startled but detached himself," she sighed, "after that he kept being confusingly sour."

"Sheesh tanuki, what'd you do that for?" Sano questioned her and Yahiko readily joined in.

"You two be quiet! You don't know anything about this kind of thing!" She shouted angrily at them, whipping around. The kendo instructor pulled out her ever-handy bokken and proceeded to chase them around the yard.

"Stupid baka."

* * *

Kenshin walked blindly down the streets, maneuvering between the crowds of people crowding the street. He sighed, annoyed. Why were there so many people out right now? 

He kept walking and turned his thoughts towards what had just happened. Of course, shishou had to give him a verbal scolding worse then any other ones, and just after what had happened last night with Kaoru.

The teen sighed again, getting several odd looks from the other people near him. He hadn't meant to scare her like that, but everything he'd said was true. Perhaps he was starting to like her, even if it was a little bit.

Kenshin stopped in his tracks when he sensed a hostile ki coming near him. He looked around him, scanning the crowd until his eye caught the source.

It was the wolf from the day before.

The redhead waited until the wolf had paused in front of him, a lit cigarette held between his lips to comment scornfully.

"Saito."

* * *

Hee hee hee hee! Sry, I just had to have Saito 'pop up' again. Hee hee... um yeah.

So, I hope y'all enjoyed it, I really am sorry it took me so long, I know how long of a wait it can be between chapters (blinks at disbelieving looks) I DO READ YOU KNOW!

Anyways... thanks for reading... please check out my profile. No more news in the update, you lazy bums. (ahem) not.

You should all thank TeZukAb0ch0u for the training session... it was her/his idea. ;p

Thanks to my wonderful reviewers:

bluekitsune251, book-manga-freak, Sesshoumaru Minion, demonz800, kenihiko, Sweeteen19 and TeZukAb0ch0u

THANKS AGAIN!

Hope you enjoyed, see y'all in December O.o

ja ne

mijichan


	10. Chapter 9

Reliving the Teens

Welcome everyone! How are y'all? (everyone shouts back various responses) Um, right. Okay! I hope all of you enjoy this chapter... and like it... and think its wonderful! (JK)

Well please continue reading (I'm sorry if I've put you off but please try and bear with me) and REVIEW!

Journey on!

* * *

At the sound of his name, Saito sneered down at the teen and sucked on his cigarette. "Why Battousai, what a surprise to see you outside of that dumpy dojo. The tanuki's actually let you off your leash then?" He tsked and dropped a few ashes onto the ground.

Kenshin glared at him, "you are delightful company as always Saito." There was a brief silence as the teen glared narrowly and the wolf completely ignored him. "What do you want? Why were you following me from the market?" He demanded angrily.

"You noticed then, that's well for you." The wolf commented easily, "As for what I want," he smirked at the red head, "surely you can guess."

"Just tell me wolf." The teen answered emotionlessly, leaning forward while his eyes narrowed and became colder.

But Saito just noticed this and continued to ignore his comments. "Don't be so dense," he scolded, still working on his cigarette.

The teen growled in anger, "tell me, otherwise I'm leaving." To prove his point the redhead turned his back on the wolf.

"For a hitokiri you can still be childish at times," the now police officer commented, glancing at the teen and then smiling when the back stiffened. "Very well, if I really do need to tell you then I will." Now the redhead turned partially back towards him.

"I want a fight."

This statement caused Kenshin to turn further until he was facing Saito and staring at him with wide eyes. "What?" He asked disbelievingly.

The wolf sneered, "You heard me Battousai. I want a duel, just between the two of us. No rules."

"Why?" The redhead demanded shortly.

"I want to test your skills, perhaps you've gotten better-not worse-over time," Saito answered intelligently, earning him a cold glare from the hitokiri.

Kenshin shook his head annoyed, then turned sideways and crossed his arms. "This is ridiculous Saito, that's no reason to have a fight." He began to walk slowly back down the alley, leaving Saito in his place.

The wolf threw his cigarette onto the ground, "don't walk away from me Battousai. I know you're interested."

Redhead paused and scoffed loudly, "you misjudge me then Hajime, and I have no interest in such a thing."

"Really," Saito commented skeptically, then in a blur of motion drew his sword and ran at Kenshin's back.

Just before he was speared, Himura turned and dropped to the ground, barely missing the wolf's flying blade.

He silently cursed himself for not bringing a sword, but who had known that he would run into the wolf. The redhead managed to duck and weave his way around the officer's blade, until he found himself near the entrance of the alley.

Saito had gotten the teen, through a few tricks, with his back against the wall. He attacked Himura one last time, and in order for him to dodge Kenshin had to fall on the ground, leaving himself wide open.

Kenshin squatted on the ground, his knees bent and his arms splayed out behind him. As he waited for Saito to finish him off, the redhead groped around with his right hand, and to his surprise closed around a thin stick or pole. He rolled to the left in order to avoid the wolf's word, bring the object front so he could see it. The "stick" was in fact an unused metal stall pole, covered with dirt but still adaptable for his use.

When the would-be officer attacked the teen again, he was ready. As the blade came down, the pole came up and a loud "clang" sounded as the metal objects met.

Saito sneered across the crossed weapons at the redhead, "found a new sudden interest have you Battousai?"

The redhead growled softly at the man, "Don't call me that." He pushed the sword back at its owner, then stepped back to lower his own "weapon" to his side. "And I have not."

"Whatever you say, Himura," the officer replied shortly, raising his sword once again.

A few seconds later, he attacked again, causing Himura to go on the defense.

This time Kenshin blocked the first the attack, then quickly moved behind the wolf to attack on his won.

Just as the pole was about to hit, Saito turned and moved to the side so that it missed him. Smiling sinisterly, the officer attacker the teen, doing so in such a way that the redhead's grip on the pole loosened completely and the teens himself went flying up the alley.

* * *

Aoshi Shinomori and Misao Makimachi, newly arrived in Tokyo from their residence in Kyoto, were walking down a barely occupied street in the center of town when a continuous sound caught their attention.

The two paused at the mouth of a shadowed alley and peered inside just in time to see a dark blue and red blur flying at them.

It landed near their feet and dissolved into a familiar redhead.

"Himura!" Misao exclaimed, and then began to rush forward towards him.

But she stopped in her tracks when the redhead slowly stood up, stiffly standing as he glared at the alley. A few seconds later the teen wiped his face with a hand and shouted angrily, "damn you Saito!" Then he rushed back into the alley, fists clenched.

The two travelers exchanged confused glances. Why were Saito and Himura fighting in an alley? Why didn't Himura have his sakabato? What had Himura, usually such a polite and courteous man, just sworn at the wolf and so angrily as well? Finally, why was Himura, of a definitely shorter stature, seemed so much shorter then usual?

A loud shout and final "clang" of metal drew their attention back to the alley.

They waited curiously until a few minutes later when Saito walked out, with a few tears on his uniform, carrying a sheathed sword. He bobbed his head at the travelers, donned the police cap once again and went off down the street, twirling the sheath between his fingers.

Aoshi and Misao watched the cop travel off through the empty street until quiet footsteps and a soft voice returned their attention to the alley. They turned to see the small redhead walking towards them, tying his hair up in a high ponytail while grumbling under his breath. Instead of the usual bright pink gi and hakama, their friend wore a dark blue outfit. It had been dirtied and slightly torn by the fight between Saito and him, making the teen look very disheveled and weary.

The teen came close enough for them to hear that he was complaining about Saito, before he realized they were there.

"Good morning," the redhead greeted cautiously, lowering this hands to his sides and blinking at the girl and man with wary and masked blue eyes.

"Himura!" Misao exclaimed loudly, running towards him with arms spread in a welcoming gesture. She nearly had her arms wrapped around his slim frame when he dodged away to the side, leaving the girl to try to regain her balance.

While keeping an eye on the female, Himura turned to look at the man. The teen's eyes were a guarded cold blue as he locked gazes with another pair of ice blue eyes.

Behind the two males engaged in a staring contest, Misao stood up straight, dusted herself off and whirled around to glare at the redhead.

"Himura! What the hell was that for?" She burst out angrily, waving her arms about as she spoke.

"Language, Misao." Aoshi scolded her, his first words since their encounter with Himura. The girl turned to frown at him, crossing her arms.

The redhead gazed between the girl and man confused, but didn't let it show on his features. Finally, he asked, "Do I know you two?"

This softly voiced question caused both of them to turn and stare, surprised. Misao slowly walked towards him until they were face to face, a curious thing since Himura was normally, at the most, a head taller then her.

"You're shorter." She stated, poking him lightly in the shoulder, and then the girl leaned forward to closely study his face. "You look different too."

Himura sighed softly and his eyes slid off to the side.

Aoshi didn't move, but also took a few minutes to study the redhead.

When he grew annoyed at the attention, the teen snapped, "I'm not some pretty thing to look at, you know." His eyes grew colder with the rebuke, and he stepped back from Misao.

She stared at him then replied confused, without her usual vigor, "of course not."

The dark haired man made no spoken comment to the redhead's snappish demand, but he was surprised by the harsh tone in Himura's usually polite and soft voice. This was a completely different person than the man they were used to.

"If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be," the teen announced, then bobbed his head and walked down the alley to disappear on the street.

After he was gone, Aoshi and Misao exchanged glances with each other.

"What was that about?" The girl wondered aloud, "Himura was sure acting weird."

Aoshi shook his head, "that wasn't Himura."

* * *

A little less then a half hour alter, the redhead walked through the gates of the Kamiya dojo and across the yard.

The few residents outside looked up as he came in, no one commenting but carefully watching him. Kaoru and Yahiko were practicing at the side, exchanging many insults and hits at each other. Sano was relaxing on the porch, a fish bone protruding from his mouth while he lay in such a way that made him look asleep.

To the teen's relief Hiko was nowhere to be seen outside, so he sighed and walked into the house… a dreadful mistake.

As Kenshin passed the kitchen door, as silently as he was able, a loud, booming voice made him halt.

"Baka deshi, what do you think you're doing?"

With a grimace, the redhead turned and slowly walked, step by step, to pause cautiously at the side of the doorway. "What Shishou?" He questioned softly, trying not to sound annoyed.

The tall man turned slightly towards the boy, stirring a pot of something on the stove. "Don't play games with me boy. What were you doing? Where were you/"

Kenshin scowled, "that's none of your business Shishou." He sighed, "It's history, besides."

"Nonsense."

* * *

Several minutes after Kenshin had disappeared inside the door, Aoshi and Misao walked in through the gate, announcing their arrival with the girl's loud shout of welcome.

Kaoru straightened up, hung a shirt over the clothesline, then ran over the younger girl and hugged her tightly. "Misao-chan!" She exclaimed happily.

The teen girl responded in the same way, hugging her back and saying, "it's great to see you again Kaoru!"

Yahiko was slower in coming over, and Sano continued to lay on the porch, supposedly oblivious to what was happening.

"Hi weasel," the boy greeted, causing Misao to turn and glare at him, "same to you-spiky haired brat."

Kaoru and Aoshi stood by as the greetings turned into a full-scale insult war.

"Weasel!"

"Brat!"

"Tomboy!"

"Short freak!"

"Well you couldn't keep your mouth shut for a minute!"

"Yeah? Well you couldn't even defend yourself from a pack of dogs!"

"Could too!"

"Can not!"

"Could too!"

"Can no-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses bake!" Thundered a voice from inside the house, and they all turned that way, recognizing Hiko's voice.

"well too bad, you'll have to hear them anyway!" replied a second voice, one that seemed to be Kenshins, almost as loudly. "It wasn't my fault; it was that stupid wolf-cop!"

Hiko scoffed, "oh right, and what did he do?"

Now Kenshin's voice took on a more annoyed then explanatory tone, "he challenged me to a fight, even though I had no sword."

"Why didn't you refuse then? It would have been as easy as just walking away," questioned the older man skeptically.

"Because he didn't give me a chance to! He attacked me before I had a chance to reply" Kenshins shouted back, raising his voice again.

Out in the yard Kaoru sighed, "They've been fighting ever since Hiko-san got here. I don't understand it."

Her comment caused them to miss Hiko's response to Kenshin's last outburst, so they were all surprised when a red and dark blue blur came hurtling at them from the open doorway of the house.

They stepped back as the blur hit the ground, slowing it down, and then rolled across the yard to finally stop a few feet away from the group and resolve it to be Kenshin lying on his back.

Kaoru hurried over to see if he was all right, while the others hung back curiously.

She found Kenshin sting up by himself and rubbing his face with a dirt-covered sleeve. The woman wordlessly handed him a handkerchief, which he took. A few seconds later, his face was clean and the red hair was retied in a ponytail; soon he looked presentable again, except for his gi being ripped and dirty.

"Thank you Kaoru-san," the teen said gratefully, handing the dirt covered handkerchief back to her. He stood up again, with help from Kaoru, and then gently dusted off his clothes. "Stupid, baka, idiot, man," he commented under his breath.

When the redhead glanced cautiously at the house, Sano was nowhere to be seen and to his relief Hiko wasn't hiding in the shadows near the doorway.

Kaoru gently took Kenshin by the arm, turning him around and leading the teen over to where Misao and Yahiko had resumed their argument, and Aoshi was standing indifferently nearby.

"Kenshin," the black-haired woman informed him quietly, keeping a firm grip on the sleeve of his gi, "Misao and Aoshi have come to visit-"

"You're the two from the alley!" The redhead blurted, narrowing cold blue eyes narrowed first at Aoshi, then at Misao. Kaoru felt him stiffen under her arm, threatening, or cautionary.

Misao stopped in mid-insult to turn and stare at him while Aoshi merely blinked and lowered his head. "Are you alright Himura? You're sure acting weird today," the girl questioned curiously, in her usual blunt fashion.

Himura bit his lip in order to stop himself from responding snappishly or sarcastically. How could this girl, who he hadn't even been introduced to yet, speak to him in such a blunt way?

Yahiko restlessly shifted his weight to the other foot, then rushed announced, "I'm gonna go inside." He left the group to run quickly across the yard and disappear inside.

The woman squeezed the teens arm reassuringly before saying, "Kenshin please relax, they're friends," in a confiding whisper.

He didn't reply except to withdraw slightly at he word "friend," mumble something under his breath and turn away.

"Ken-shin," she breathed softly, almost pleading with him.

"Don't call me that." The redhead snapped angrily, jerking his arm way from her hand. He crossed his arms, stiff as a statue.

Kaoru sighed and lowered her arm fully to her side, watching Kenshin's stiff profile hopefully.

A few feet away Misao had been observing their exchange with confusion. Finally she voiced, "what's wrong with you today Himura? You never snap at Kaoru."

The redhead was audibly grinding his teeth and after a few minutes of silence, he replied, "Because I'm not him." The four words were said tensely and shortly, in obvious dislike.

Misao made a face at him, opening but then closing her mouth several times in continuing confusion.

"You aren't who, Himura." Aoshi questioned in a deadpan, his first words since his and Misao's arrival.

Kenshin turned partially towards the older male, eyes still cold and masked, locked eyes with him for a few seconds then turned back again. "I'm not one you know." He replied cryptically.

Behind him Kaoru sighed, why was he always so worried about not being their Kenshin? Why couldn't he understand that they liked him the way he was?

The female ninja let out a yelp of surprise, "hang on a second!" She slowly stalked forward to stop beside the redhead and peer at him closely. "You look different." Misao said after a slight pause.

Himura shifted restlessly under the penetrating stare of the girl, "that's what you said back at the alley," he commented dryly.

"Well you do!" Misao whined loudly, straightening as her braid waved with the motion.

Aoshi, who had also been studying the teen, questioned quietly, "How old are you Himura?"

The redhead stiffened and his cold gaze flickered over to the man, then away.

Misao turned back towards him, asking incredulously, "what do you mean Aoshi-sama? He's-"

"I'm fourteen."

Both of the Oniwaban turned to stare at Himura after his soft-voiced announcement, disbelievingly, while Kaoru lightly gripped his sleeve once more.

Misao blinked at him with surprise and confusion, stepping back slightly. Aoshi, who had suspected something of the like, continued to gaze studiously at the redhead, comparing the 29 and 14-year-old versions in his head.

The teenage ninja finally exclaimed, "I can't believe this! It's so cool!" She clasped her hands together, still shouting loudly, "you're younger then me!"

Aoshi added quietly, "this is certainly a surprise."

Kaoru squeezed Himura's arm gently, "see, this isn't so bad. Right Kenshin?"

The redhead answered with an unsure noise, almost a snicker, but didn't jerk or turn away.

Misao slowly leaned forwards to stare at Himura once more, "you do look younger," she commented softly, "your scar-it only has one line!" Kenshin followed her as she moved, his eyes fixed on her face. "Your hair is shorter too, and your eyes-they're blue instead of violet." Misao paused barely a foot away from him, then looked like a lightbulb had gone off in her head, "and you're not using that silly "this one" or "that" stuff anymore!" She exclaimed, pointing a finger at him.

Himura rolled his eyes as if what the girl was saying was complete nonsense. "Do you know anyone how talks like that? And who has violet eyes? That's not natural. What does it matter how long my hair is? And yes, I know I'm short. Shishou used to tell me that a few thousand times a day." His tone started as sarcastic, but ended cold and harsh as he blocked off his emotions and withdrew again, hiding from memories.

The change was visible to Kaoru and Aoshi, but Misao chattered on obliviously.

"And your face, it's so thin-yet childlike." The girl smiled, "it's no wonder people always mistake you for being half your age." She teased friendly.

"When the baka used to go into town with me, some of the folk would mistake him for being a girl." Hiko announced from the doorway, wearing a superior smirk as he gazed at the redhead. "The girls and woman always fawned over him, calling the kid a "sweet child," "adorable" and a "polite sweetheart."" The man said all the compliments scornfully, glancing one in awhile at the others.

Misao snickered quietly at this, hiding the amused smile behind her thin hand.

Kaoru glanced worriedly at Kenshin, trying to gauge his reaction to the baiting sarcasm.

Aoshi merely stood by, watching the redhead while considering how to repair the, what some may call, friendship that he had recently with the older Himura. This younger version was not as trusting, settled, or polite as the man was used to.

"The woman," Kenshin said the term scornfully, "that you're talking about Shishou, would be the ones who ran the sake shop and grocery stalls." He quipped coldly, his voice harsh.

Hiko didn't respond to the teen's correction, instead he tried to read the boy's ki-but it was hidden again.

"Is lunch ready Hiko-san?" Kaoru questioned earnestly, turning to look at the large man.

He nodded, "yes." Hiko went on with a mischievous smirk, "I hope everyone likes it, but I'm sure that since it's not your cooking Kamiya, they will."

Kaoru frowned and muttered something under her breath, then stomped angrily across the yard and into the house. Aoshi and Misao followed her inside, and Hiko turned that too, but first he looked back at the yard; the redhead was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Awwwwww, poor Ken-chan! (hugs her Kenshin plushie tightly) Never mind, I don't even HAVE a Kenshin plushie.. wish I did.

Well, I hope everyone liked/enjoyed it. I'm sorry to say this, but the story will end in a few chapters. But don't worry, it won't be a random ending, I actually have a very good idea in mind and I'm SURE no one will be dissapointed. XD

Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I very very very really really really appreciate it. Thank you for all of your support and comments about everything!

For anyone who is interested, I posted the first few pages of my NaNoWriMo Novel (National November Novel Writing Month) on fictionpressDOTcom. My account is elfenchild. If you have time and are interested, please read and send me a comment!

I have to warn you that there might be another update from now to Jan 8, but after that there will be no updates until two weeks after that. (I don't know the date). That's finals so I will have to spend my time elsewhere. I'm sorry

Well, to end on an upnote... please review!

Happy New Years! Happy 2007!

ja ne,

mijichan


	11. Chapter 10

Reliving the Teens

Ch 11!

Welcome one and all to the second, or third, to last chapter of RT. (sob) ITS SO SAD! O.o. I'll stop now.

and stop throwing huggable Kenshin stuffed dolls at me! I know its been awhile! Its not my fault! ... sorta . 

Anyway... please read the important **author's note** at the bottom of the page, it is very informative.

I hope you enjoy, don't forget to review as well!

* * *

Hiko waited until the otherss were preoccupied, mostly by fighting each other. He cast a quick glance around the dojo, then slipped out to find his stray baka deshi. He walked along a rough dirt path for a few minutes, into a small patch of woodland. After battling with low-hanging braches, he found the boy sitting under a tree at the edge of a small clearing, staring into space.

"Hey, baka! What do you think you're doing?" he called loudly, trying to get the kid's attention. However, he failed to make Kenshin even blink. The baka instead chose to keep staring off into the distance. Hiko frowned. "What's your problem, baka?" he asked, and crossed his arms to await a response.

The kid continued to ignore him, there was no doubt, however that he _was_ aware of the man presence.

A few minutes later Hiko grew annoyed with being ignored, and took out a small dagger he had hidden in his pocket. After fingering it for several seconds, the man held it loosely by the tip and with a flick of the wrist threw it towards the teen.

He knew the deshi would dodge the weapon, but to his surprise, Kenshin waited until the last safe second to lean forward slightly. A breath later, the dagger had embedded itself into the tree trunk-less then an inch away from where Kenshin's head had been moments before.

"Why did you throw that at me?" the redhead questioned quietly, not turning to look at his shishou.

Hiko answered with a straight face, "Because you weren't paying attention to me."

In response, there was a barely visible smirk within the boys' bland expression, and a long pause wherein Hiko shifted uncomfortably and Kenshin resumed his cloud watching.

"Why did you come after me?" the teen finally asked quietly, turning to blink soft blue eyes at him.

"To talk to you." Hiko replied shortly.

"Why?"

The man 'humph'-ed loudly, "to understand your thoughts, as much as is possible, anyway."

Kenshin frowned, "why?"

"You ask me 'why'? Because! That's why-because!" The shishou answered, becoming quickly annoyed with the boy.

That boy frowned darkly and commented softly, "you didn't want to understand when I left."

Hiko didn't respond, although he was surprised at that comment. After all, that... unpleasant event had taken place over fifteen years ago. Although, to Kenshin, it had been a little less than a year, Hiko remembered, stealing a glance at the teen.

"I did understand. I just didn't want them to use you… like I knew they would."

This confused the redhead even more and he shook his head, "that day when I left, you said you didn't want me to come back."

The man groaned loudly, "I never said that, baka."

"Then you would have, you will, take me back? You would forgive everything I've done as, as an assassin?" Kenshin asked, leaning hopefully towards his shishou with wide eyes.

"No, I would not have forgiven, but I would have welcomed you, given you a fearsome scolding and, perhaps, helped you atone for all those murders." Hiko corrected nearly arguably, gazing sternly at him.

The hope in the boys' eyes faded slightly. "Oh," he replied, turning away from the man, and Hiko felt him withdraw slightly.

Seijuro frowned at him, "when you came back to me in this era, fifteen years after I last saw you, the damage that all of those years had done to you was visible-but, you had learned to live with it." He sighed; all of this sincere, emotional stuff was starting to get on his nerves.

"I see."

"The reason I didn't want you to leave was because I knew what they would do to you. I knew they would take that untamable, strong spirit of yours and use it to manipulate you. I didn't want to see that happen to you."

The pair lapsed into silence once more while Kenshin considered the words of the man he trusted the most.

Finally, the redhead smiled softly, turning to look at Hiko, "thank you Shishou, for believing in me. It's good to know that at least someone still does."

Hiko groaned at the boy, wondering just how dense he could be. "I'm not the only one baka. You have a lot of friends in this time, and your own."

Kenshin scoffed quietly, but, for once, made no biting reply.

The man frowned, "I'm sure this "Katsura-san" of yours cares about you, as well as "Okami-dono.""

"I suppose," the teen replied reluctantly.

"Baka, if you don't change that attitude of yours, I'll bash your head in with a katana, shinai or that sakabato of yours… your choice," Hiko threatened angrily, leaning in towards the boy.

That boy didn't respond for a few minutes, and the man nearly turned around to return to the dojo to carry out his threat. He was a few steps down the path when behind him he heard a hoarse sob that caused him to turn around and watch as the boy buried his head in his hands and began to cry silently.

Hiko slowly walked forward towards Kenshin until he was standing at the nearest tree to the teen, "Kenshin."

"I hate killing people!" The redhead blurted loudly, raising his arms to knead furiously with his knuckles at the side of his head. "I hate how they look at me; how they call me a 'demon,' thinking that I can't hear."

The teen's shishou watched the break down uncertainly, now knowing whether to comfort his adopted son or let him vent his anger.

"I didn't ask to be a hitokiri; I only wanted to help people." Kenshin paused reflectively, "to give them a possibility for a new life, like I had. Perhaps I'm dreaming, but that was my reason. That's why I've pushed my emotions aside to do my job-I want people's dreams to come alive, I want to see everyone in Japan living equally and freely with each other. And, if I have to risk myself, and my life for that cause, then there's no choice. I have to do it."

"That's quite a speech boy. But there's some points where you're wrong." Hiko stepped intimidating closer, "you're only a demon if you believe yourself to be. It's your choice if you want to be one."

The redhead shook his head, "I don't have a choice anymore, and all I can do is finish what I've started."

"Don't let your power and skills go to your head. Do your jobs as you have to, but don't lock yourself away so far that you won't be able to come back afterwards." Seijuro advised warningly, still trying to read the boys' ki. "Don't become what they think you are."

Kenshin looked slightly put out, "I don't want to, but every time I, I kill, I feel like I'm slipping further away from reality. Fighting, killing, isolation, it's become my life." He sighed, and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "All I wanted was to protect people, that's why I joined the Ishin Shishi."

Hiko shook his head and snorted amusedly, "What is with you and protecting people? You don't care about your own well-being, only other people. Even that sakabato of yours is for protecting others," he paused slightly, "or so you say."

"My sakabato?"

The man shifted uncomfortably, should he be telling the boy so much about his future? Or will it give him another reason to continue? "Yes, a sword, the sakabato, which you traded your katana for."

"I see."

They lapsed into silence, Kenshin thinking about what else had changed-what else that he had not discovered yet. Meanwhile Hiko reflected on how, slowly but certainly, the young boy was returning to himself, to how he had been before becoming a sword and assassin for Katsura. Perhaps this would give the boy a better chance of leaving the war behind, with his soul intact.

* * *

_Back in the dojo…_

Kaoru set down at the makeshift table, setting down a tray of snacks she had made, to sit down on the ground next to Misao. It was only her, Aoshi, Misao and Yahiko left at the dojo; Sano had gone to visit Megumi and Hiko had most likely gone after Kenshin.

She sighed loudly, reaching out to take a mug of tea from the tray and grip it tightly in her hands.

"What's wrong Kaoru-san?" the female ninja questioned, wondering about her friend's thoughts. Aoshi glanced at her, and then back to Kaoru.

She shook her head, "I'm, I'm just worried about Kenshin. Very worried."

"You worry too much busu. It's Kenshin, he'll be fine." Yahiko scowled, scolding his instructor like only teenagers can.

"No Yahiko baka, he won't be alright. The idiot always hides his emotions from us and it drives me crazy! He says that he's perfectly all right when he's not! Like that time after the battle with Shishio, I was afraid he'd die then."

Under his breath Yahiko muttered, "Are you close to being done yet? I like the guy too, but seriously..."

But Kaoru wasn't listening.

"He's such an idiot sometimes! I know he cares for me, and yes, I feel the same way, but he's continually holding back just because he doesn't think he's worthy of me, and he's afraid of staining me!" She threw her hands in the air, fully exasperated, "I've told him over and over that I don't care about his past or that he was a hitokiri, but can't seem to get that through that thick skull of his!"

"You've told the rurouni this, but have you done the same with the hitokiri?" Aoshi questioned monotonously, sipping slowly at his tea.

The others turned to stare at him. At least he has stopped Kaoru's ranting about Kenshin.

Shinomori blinked at them, and then set his tea down on the ground. "Himura the rurouni knows we care about him, but the hitokiri doesn't." He gazed stoically at the instructor, and said sternly, "Consider this Kamiya-san, at the moment in his mind, in his own time, Himura is a fourteen year old soldier. At one time, he had naïve innocence, a strong spirit and a sense of justice-but that was turned against him. The Ishin Shishi used those aspects of his personality to form him into a hitokiri, a person who slays others for "justice.""

"This must be the only time I've heard you talk so much," Yahiko muttered into his hand, slouching down in his seat.

Aoshi seemingly ignored him, "Now he's a fourteen, nearly fifteen, year old assassin who has no friends and has people talk about him behind his back. The one person who he looked up to and thought of as family, has, to him, disowned him and never wants to see him again."

Kaoru looked very depressed and upset as she listened to what Aoshi was saying.

"He doesn't realize how much you care about him Kamiya-san, Himura isn't used to it, he doesn't know how to react to it."

With a gasp the woman rose to her feet, dropping her cup to the ground with a crash, then whispered, "Oh, Kenshin," before running out of the yard and down the road.

* * *

She soon found Hiko towering over his young deshi, who was sitting daydreaming under a tree in the forrest.

They both looked up when her footsteps stopped on the dirt path, but then soon glanced away again, ignoring her.

"Kenshin, I need to talk to you." Kaoru blurted loudly, skirting around the large man to kneel in front of the redhead.

He continued to look past her, staring out at the trees opposite of him.

"Listen to her, baka," demanded Hiko, thinking that the girl could knock more sense into the boys head then he ever could.

The woman nodded her thanks to Kenshin's foster father, locking eyes with him for several seconds. In that small amount of time she read, and was able to see, how much he really cared for the teen, and how far he was willing to go to bring him back.

Then she turned again towards Kenshin, and it was lost.

Kaoru sighed, "Kenshin, please listen to me. I need you to listen, alright?" She nervously pulled on the bottom of her gi. "I know I should have told you this a long time ago, but I didn't think of it." The woman smiled gently at him, "I care about you Kenshin, and I care very much."

But the redhead shook his head, "no, you don't. You care about your Kenshin, the older me who lives in this time." He replied stubbornly, not wanting to believe that anyone cared.

"That's not true. I care about both of you; you're the same person to me." Kaoru reassured the teen, smiling gently at him. "Your past doesn't matter to me, not about being a hitokiri or anything like that. You are who you are; nothing and no one can change that."

Himura didn't have a response to those words; he couldn't believe or understand that anyone would think of him that way.

"Listen to her, baka," Hiko barked at his deshi-repeating himself from earlier. Knock more sense, indeed.

"I've _killed_ people Kaoru. Hundreds, possibly thousands in a little more then a year. No one else will approach me, why are you so special?" Kenshin commented softly, resting his chin on the top of his knees.

The woman sighed, "Because even though I don't know everything that's happened to you-and I do want to- I still understand how it helped you become the person you are today. I know you regret your actions during the war and you feel you need to atone for them, but that's not your fault."

Even though she was kneeling in front of him, and gazing right into his face, the redhead refused to meet her clear, bright sapphire eyes.

"No, no." Kenshin whispered to himself, softly shaking his head. The shadowed blue eyes were somewhat glazed, as if the scene before his eyes wasn't the forest, but instead something he was remembering from his days of being a hitokiri.

Kaoru slowly reached forward, leaning in, to gently grip the teens shoulder. That sudden contact caused him to start and then stiffen under her hand. His head rose slowly rose to look back at her, the unusually pale face paler then normal, and blue eyes dull and wary.

"Kenshin, please. There's no reason for you to worry over what you did as Battousai. None of your friends care, we like you the way you are." She paused to observe that the teen seemed ready to withdraw at a wrong word or comment. "We love both the rurouni and hitokiri."

Himura sharply hissed, drawing air in between his clenched teeth. "Don't tell me those lies," he snapped at the kendo instructor, shrugging off her hand. "You don't care, none of you. I don't know why the rurouni, as you call him, believes that stupid act. Listen to you; you're just being naïve, as I once was. Well, here's the truth Kaoru, the world's a harsh place. People are being taken advantage of every day-especially the poor. I joined the war to help those people, to end their suffering. I know what it feels like because my family was poor as well, we were poor farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere! No one should have to suffer like that anymore. It's all wrong!" The teen was nearly yelling now, his eyes flashing dangerously and narrowed angrily. He had leaned forward menacingly and heatedly during his rant, and was now sitting a few inches away from Kaoru.

That woman was currently staring surprised at him. She had never heard Kenshin speak so passionately before, whether he was their beloved rurouni, or the dangerous battousai. Kaoru had known that he had become a wanderer to atone for his sins while he was the amber-eyed hitokiri, but she realized now that she hadn't known the real reason for that change.

"You're talking like it's my _past_ we're discussing. Well it might be that to you, but to me this is my future. It's what I might become, who I may become in a decade or so. But it's not for sure, it depends on things I have no control over-events that will come later on down the road. There's no absolute law that I'll stop being a hitokiri and become a rurouni, its part of the "what if." What if, I get killed during an assassination mission, or what if after the war someone wanting revenge threatens and kills me?" Kenshin practically shouted at her, his voice becoming more cold and hostile.

These declarations were too much for Kaoru to hear; she sat back on her heels, then raised her hand and slapped the teen hard across his left cheek.

There followed a long pause full of silence.

Kenshin sat with his back resting against the tree, staring at Kaoru with a hand gently cupping the injured cheek. His usual distant blue eyes were full of surprise, a rare occurrence, and he looked as if one might when the world was ending.

For his part, Hiko stood near the couple just a few feet away. He definitely had not expected the girl to slap his apprentice. The passionate outburst had both surprised and annoyed him (the boy had talked about his ideals so often that Hiko could practically recite them by heart), but even when the boy had gotten on his nerves during their training sessions so many years ago, he had never slapped the boy. Sent him to bed without dinner or made him do extras chores or practices, yes. But, never ever had he, or would he, slap the child.

Kaoru had lowered her hand so it hung by her side, looking utterly horrified by what she had just done. "Kenshin, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to. I'm really, really sorry."

The boy didn't reply, he continued to stare at her blankly.

Hiko studied his deshi worriedly. His ki held the surprise that was visible on his face, but it also contained a lonely and hurtful pang that worried him. What if the shock and feeling of being slapped and physically hurtwould cause the boy to return to that limited time he had spent with those slave traders, when he had been a small child who had found himself ripped away from the parents who had died so quickly, all within a month? He had remembered the fragile boy he had taken in as an apprentice. The boy with wide, blue eyes who had always wanted to know the "why" behind everything. Who had, in the first year they had lived together, stiffened at any physical contact, had barely spoken a word and had always acted skittish around the larger and older man-afraid he would do something wrong and be punished for it. Hiko remembered how long the process had taken to coax the child out of his shell. For the boy's own sake he didn't want it to happen again.

"K-Kaoru," the redhead whispered softly, stuttering over her name and sounding as if he were trying not to cry.

When the woman finally gathered the courage to raise her head and look him in the eyes, what she saw nearly broke her heart.

The mask that the teen had worked so carefully to maintain was down, and behind it was the gaze of a person who had seen too much in their short life, who had been manipulated and broken by some one who hadn't cared what happened. It was the gaze of a person who had been silently crying out for help, but no one had heard, or tried to hear. Of someone who had given up hope for themselves long ago and was now willing to be content with what happened to them. Of a teenager who had had so many horrible and painful things happen to him, he had forgotten what it meant to be happy, content or even loved. The gaze of a boy who had been forced to grow up too fast, with no chance at a childhood. A kid who had tried so long to keep up a front, to be someone he wasn't, that because of it, he was being smothered by darkness, and pain, and grief, and falling into depression and a deep hole that he couldn't possibly climb out of by himself-but no one else was willing to help him.

Kaoru saw all of this in his gaze-and it broke her heart.

"Oh, Kenshin," she whispered, then slowly leaned forward and pulled the boy into a gentle, caring embrace. The girl raised her arm to gently place a supportive hand behind his head, and held him, letting the teen believe, or gain, what he did.

They sat there in the small clearing, underneath a tall tree, the woman holding the boy as if there were nothing else in the world except for them.

Time passed, neither of them knew how much, but they were willing to stay there with each other for as long as it was needed.

Suddenly Kaoru began humming a lullaby she distantly remembered her mother singing to her when she was little. She didn't remember the words, and had a hard time carrying a tune, but she hummed it anyway.

And it seemed to help.

The redhead slowly relaxed into her embrace and gently leaned against her, his head resting on her shoulder. Then he closed his eyes and let himself be overwhelmed by her scent, and song.

When Kaoru couldn't remember any more of the song, she carefully pressed the boy tighter against her body and began whispering softly to him.

"I am so glad I was able to meet you Kenshin, you're such a wonderful person. You're kind, you're gentle, you're polite, and you care about everyone and everything. You're a very unique person Kenshin, and I love you for that-we all do. You've had more then your share of hard times in your life, but you overcame them, and you're a better person because of that. I am so lucky to have met you, I don't know how I could, or did ever, live my life without you. You've been such a wonderful influence on us all, and we're all grateful for it. Thank you Kenshin, for being a large, and important, part of our lives."

During her speech, she heard the boy sniffle and sob a few times, but she went on because she wanted the lonely teen to hear what she had to say, and how thankful she was for him. By the time she was done talking, the girl could feel a damp patch on her gi where the redheads face was pressed against her skin.

She let him cry freely, holding him close and not caring about the state of her clothes. She let him cry for all the bad things that had happened to him, for what he was doing, and just to cry, because when he was finished and no more tears would come, she knew he would feel better

When he clutched at the material of her gi and hiccupped loudly, Kaoru squeezed him and pressed his head against her shoulder. "It's alright Kenshin, it okay. You'll be alright now."

Slowly he quieted until they were sitting silently holding each other again.

"K-Kaoru?" asked a soft voice, muffled by her shirt. He sounded better now, not as troubled as before.

"Yes Kenshin?"

He shifted slightly against her, his face still hidden in her shoulder, "thank you."

Kaoru smiled, "no Kenshin, thank you." She wrapped her arms tighter around his thin body and began rocking him gently back and forth.

Suddenly he gasped and she felt him tense against her. "What's wrong Kenshin?" She asked worriedly, and then tried to push him away slightly so she could see his face.

But he desperately and stubbornly held onto her, clutching at her shirt, "I, I can't hold on. There, there's something-. I can't stay awake. I think-"

Then he slumped into her arms, as if the life had gone out of him, and fell against her.

"Kenshin? Kenshin!" The girl called his name panicking, pulling him away from her.

The thin body tilted forward, his head resting on his chest and the pale eyelids hiding the blue eyes from the world.

She continued to call his name, but it was in vain, he didn't answer.

Hiko quietly walked forward and gently took his deshi from Kaoru's trembling hands. "It's alright Kamiya, he's just unconscious."

"W-what happened?" She asked frightened, sapphire blue eyes wide with shock and worry, her hands slick with cold sweat.

A small smile flirted at the edge of the large mans mouth, "he was forgiven, and because of that he was able to forgive himself."

* * *

(miji-chan sniffles and blows nose) Its so... _touching!_ . Poor, poor Ken-chan!

I hope all of you liked it! I enjoyed writing it, the last bit was written within the space of two hours when I was having a creativity rush. I like those, much better then stupid writers block. u

I HATE MINNESOTA and Minnesotan SCHOOLS! It was 16 BELOW ZERO on Monday, with a windchill of below 30, but did they cancel school? NO! They decided it was better for us students to freeze to death! And for all of you smirking at me because your in a warm place... blah.

**Important Note: **For some stupid reason, all seniors at my school have to write a term paper. They're due before spring break, which is mis mid-March. So here's an advance warning: There is little to no chance of me being able to update between now and middle of march. I am very sorry, but I would like to graduate, which means writting this stupid paper. There might be one update, but it'll be small. In other words: don't get your hopes up.

Okay, now onto more inspiring notes:

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!

MoonFlower '93, starfruit-22. demonz8000, Sweeteen19 and TeZukAb0ch0u

For those who didn't or haven't yet... **please?** It'll make getting through the school year much more bareable (no I'm not begging, much)

If anyone's looking for a good fanfic to read, there's plently in my favorites in my profile. Also, I would highly recommend "Out of Time" by Siriusfan13 which was the inspiration for this fic, or "All I want is You" Both are exceptional!

ja ne,

mijichan


	12. Chapter 11

Reliving the Teens

Ch 12

Final Chapter

Well folks, we've made it to the end... this will be the last chapter for Reliving the Teens. Kinda bittersweet. This is the first fic I've finished (don't you DARE laugh Ash!) and I really like it.

Oh well... continue on

Just as a readers guide: in the flashback, the italicized parts are Kenshins story, and the not italicized are them speaking in the present. Just so you don't get confused.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kaoru sighed quietly and sat back on her heels, drawing the attention of the other woman in the room. 

"What's wrong?"

She looked up to see Megumi sitting opposite her, brow furrowed and looking worried. "What's wrong?" The doctor repeated.

"I'm worried about Kenshin."

"He's fine."

The kendo instructor frowned, "I know that… but out in the woods, he just collapsed suddenly and…"

Megumi sighed and began wringing her hands, "most likely he was just overstressed Kaoru. Ken-san will wake up soon."

"I hope so."

* * *

_Hiko and Kaoru walked down the dirt path, making the journey in complete silence as they neared the dojo. As they walked, Kenshin's unconscious body swayed slightly on Hiko's shoulder._

_Kaoru glanced continuously at the redhead, doing it quickly enough so the man carrying him wouldn't notice. When they arrived at the dojo, the two paused in front of the gate before pushing it open and walking inside._

_The first to notice their return was Yahiko, who had been practicing with his shinai under the watchful eye of Misao and Aoshi sitting nearby on the porch sipping tea and talking. He ran to Kaoru and Hiko, dropping the wooden sword. Yahiko took in the worry on Kaoru's face, the lack of expression on Hiko's and finally his friend and mentor's body slung over the large man's shoulder._

"_W-what happened?"_

_Kaoru frowned, "go get Megumi, tell her to come right away."_

"_R-right!" The boy exclaimed, and then quickly ran past them and out of the yard._

_Hiko walked across the yard to stand next to the porch and then gently pulled Kenshin off of his shoulder and laid him gently on the porch. "He should rest until that doctor comes," the man commented, taking off his cape, folding it and placing it under the boy's head._

* * *

"It's thanks to you he's alive, really," Kaoru whispered, tugging on her ponytail as she glanced at Kenshin. 

Megumi shook her head, "that's not true. He was only unconscious. Ken-san would have recovered in a day or so."

"It's been three days, Megumi."

The doctor sighed. "It's Ken-san, he'll recover."

"Of course."

* * *

Two days later Kaoru quietly slid the door open to Kenshin's room and stepped inside, carefully balancing the tray in her hand. She closed the door, and slowly walked over to where the redhead was laying on the futon. 

The woman kneeled beside him and set the food next to her. She had been bringing a tray of food to him every day since he had fainted, hoping he would wake and eat. So far, that hadn't happened.

He was still sleeping.

Kaoru sighed and leaned over the still form, pulling the blanket up over him. Then she moved her hand until it stilled above his hair, hesitating slightly before running her fingers gently through the flame-red strands, slowly undoing his ponytail. When the band fell out Kaoru lifted her hand and repeated the gentle action.

His hair was so soft, it always had been. Kenshin probably spent more time on it then most women did. But she liked it that way, she always had –ever since she had met him- especially the length.

The man groaned softly and turned onto his other side, trapping Kaoru's hand. She slowly and gently pulled the hand out, careful not to disturb him. Carefully, she drew his head onto her lap, and continued to trail her fingers through the hair that was now splayed to his side.

Suddenly she stopped the movement, noticing something different about his appearance. A few days earlier Misao had mentioned that the fourteen year old looked more childlike than the older Kenshin, and back then she had agreed, but now that childishness was goneHe looked more mature now, as if he were older with more worries and cares.

Kaoru removed her hand and gently traced the outline of his face, studying it closely. His eyes were closed, and looking closer, she noticed how long his eyelashes were- kind of like a girls. But, to her, it just made him more handsome.

The woman lightly gripped his chin with two finger, and gently turned his head so she could see the left side of his face, more specifically, the scar.

And there it was, right where it always had been. But, instead of the one score that marked the cheek of the teenager it now had both the horizontal and the vertical lines – forming the infamous cross-shaped scar.

She lightly traced it with her finger, running over it again and again, humming quietly to herself. So it was true, the rurouni was back. Kaoru paused and leaned over, the ends of her hair brushing his face.

However…

The teen gently pressed Kenshin's scarred cheek, and then narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing it carefully. To her eyes, although it was slightly dark in the room, it looked as if the scar had faded slightly- as if it wasn't as deep as before. She withdrew her hand, and returned it to stroking Kenshin's hair, lost in thought.

A few minutes later she reached down and gently shook the thin shoulder, softly calling his name, "Kenshin, Kenshin." She sighed when there was no answer and then rested her hands at her side. What now?

The man groaned softly and shifted position, his head moving on her lap while the flame-red bangs moved to cover his face, falling asleep again.

Kaoru sighed and slowly stood up, once again being careful not to wake Kenshin. She glanced down at the redhead for a long moment then exited the room quietly before padding down the hall.

* * *

The next morning the Kenshingumi plus Hiko were sitting on the porch, eating breakfast. Megumi had cooked everything so more was eaten then usual, and soon Sano and Yahiko fell to squabbling over the little that was left. 

"Grow up, you two. You never fight over my cooking." Kaoru commented, slowly sipping her tea.

"That's cause most of your food isn't edible anyway," Yahiko mumbled in reply, speaking around his mouthful of food. Sano hit the boy on the back of the head, causing Yahiko to spit out all of his food. A few seconds later the two fell to squabbling again.

Megumi sighed, "and it's usually so quiet around here."

"Since when?" Misao commented, laughing. A glare from Kaoru quickly quieted her. Of course, throughout the entire argument, and conversation, Hiko quietly sat by, sipping his tea and privately wishing he had his sake.

After the food was gone, Sano ignored Yahiko's protests and turned to Megumi. This left Yahiko at a loss, so he began arguing over an abstract subject with Misao. They continued to disturb their companions until a quiet voice cut through the noise.

"Good morning."

Everyone turned staring towards the main door that opened onto the porch, and even the two "children" stopped yelling at each other.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed, surprised and delighted at the same time.

The redhead turned bright violet eyes on her, and smiled. "Good morning Kaoru-san."

"Himura! You're awake!" Misao proclaimed loudly.

He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, "Yes I am, sorry I slept so long." His gaze flickered around the circle at all of the faces, and then settled back on the teenage ninja. "Misao-chan, Aoshi-san, when did you get here?"

The two Oniwaban members glanced at each other, and back at Kenshin with confused looks that they barely managed to hide. "We arrived several days ago, Himura," Aoshi responded for the both of them.

"Ah, I see."

Now Yahiko spoke up, "How are you feeling Kenshin?"

The man blinked at him, "better, thank you Yahiko."

"You hungry, Kenshin? The fox cooked today, so there's ootori, rice balls, soup and a bunch of other stuff." Sano offered, holding out his nearly empty bowl.

Kaoru looked gloomy, slouching down in her seat.

The redhead looked pale all of a sudden, but forced a smile onto his face, "No, no thank you Sano." He paused as he rubbed his arm absently, "I think, I think I'll go take a bath."

"Alright," the rooster replied as he lowered the bowl and then resumed eating.

Kenshin nodded, then turned and slowly walked back to the doorway, disappearing inside the dojo.

"He's awake." Kaoru breathed softly, sighing in relief.

Megumi smiled, "yes, Ken-san is."

"The baka's probably dehydrated and hungry," Hiko declared, setting his plate on the ground and standing. "I'll go talk to him."

As the man followed Kenshin inside, Yahiko questioned, "Why did he change back? I mean, what happened to Battousai?"

"He told you not to call him that Yahiko," Kaoru snapped automatically, resting her chin in her hands.

The boy rolled his eyes.

"I'm not sure why, it was certainly sudden." The doctor commented thoughtfully, "I can't think of a way to explain it."

"Who cares!" Misao suddenly exclaimed. "Himura's back and that's what matters!"

All of the Kenshingumi voiced their agreement.

* * *

Kenshin sighed and sank further down into the steaming hot water. He hadn't taken a bath in a long time, which made this one very welcome. 

"Kenshin!" A familiar gruff voice called from the other side of the door.

The redhead groaned softly and closed his eyes, "what Shishou?"

Hiko didn't answer, instead he slid open the door and stepped inside, uninvited. "Are you hiding in here?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.

"No," the deshi replied without moving or opening his eyes.

The man smirked, "sure you aren't."

"I'm _not_." Kenshin replied, opening his eyes to gaze at his shishou with a decidedly annoyed look.

"Maybe you're not hiding, but you are angry at something." Hiko observed, stepping up onto the raised floor while placing the clean gi and hakama he had brought beside the bath.

The redhead looked deadpan at Hiko. "Other than you?" he teased, tilting his head back. However, Hiko didn't take the bait and instead stayed silent, gazing stonily at the younger man. Finally Kenshin gave up and sighed, "it's just…" he paused, gathering his thoughts. "Usually I have a fairly good memory, but, I don't remember anything from the past week and a half." He frowned, looking upset.

"You've been asleep for six days."

Kenshin sat up surprised, "six days!"

Hiko nodded, "yes. But as I remember, you were out for a week and a half after the Shishio incident, or perhaps it was longer."

"So?" The redhead huffed, leaning back again with crossed arms.

The man sighed, this baka just never understood. "Tell me something boy."

"What?" Kenshin asked, raising his eyebrows hesitantly.

"How old are you?"

"Now? Thirty."

"How old were you when we met?"

"I wouldn't call that meeting, but seven."

"And when you left to join the Ishin Shishi?"

"Twelve."

Hiko continued to grill his thickheaded deshi, "how long ago did the Meji era start?"

"Close to twelve years."

"And when you started wandering?"

"Seventeen."

"How old is Kaoru?"

"Seventeen."

"The rooster?"

"Eighteen."

"The brat?"

"Other than me? Twelve."

"And yours truly?"

The redhead blinked and rubbed the back of his head, "fourty-ish?"

Hiko glared annoyedly at the younger man, "_thanks_, baka deshi."

"Welcome," Kenshin replied, grinning.

"Hnnn" the man commented, then said sternly, "do you understand the point I was making?"

Himura blinked, and tilted his head to one side, "you had a point?" He questioned cluelessly.

The glare increased in intensity, "yes, I _did._ My point was that even though you don't remember the last week and a half, you still remember the more important things."

"I guess you're right," the redhead acknowledged, sighing, and bowed his head.

"Of course I am." Hiko replied smartly, smirking.

Kenshin made a scoffing sound, then stood up in the bath and stepped up onto the floor. He liftedthe towel and began drying himself off.

"You're not saying 'this one' or putting 'that-something' after every sentence," the older man commented, carefully studying his student.

The redhead turned to look inquiringly at him, "why would I do that?"

Hiko sighed, sometimes the boy could be so dense, and such a stubborn idiot. But… "Your mask is down, it's gone."

"Oro?" Kenshin asked, even more confused now. Had shishou finally snapped?

The questionably sane master stared at the redhead. The man before him was no longer the rurouni everyone knew, but he wasn't the Battousai either, not even close to him. After thinking carefully, Hiko came to a startling conclusion.

Could it be…

"Kenshin?"

His deshi turned in the midst of drying his hair to look questioningly at him, "hmm? What?"

Hiko didn't reply or answer, he didn't have to. His conclusion was correct, however amazing it was. Because of what the tanuki had said to the fourteen year old hitokiri in the forest, because she had helped him open up and break his cold shell. Because of that importantinfluence, standing right in front of him was not the Rurouni, and was most definitely not the Battousai. He was simply Himura Kenshin, the man that he should have grown up to become in the first place.

"Shishou, are you all right?" The redhead asked, tying his hakama, wondering why the man had spaced out suddenly.

Seijuro blinked, then rubbed his eyes, "yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Kenshin asked worriedly, then continued in a rush, "because if you're sick, then I can go get Megumi-san, and she can,"

"I'm fine."

The redhead stared, then replied softly, "alright," and began pulling on his gi.

"Kenshin? Kenshin are you okay in there?" Kaoru's voice filtered through the door, sounding worried.

Both of the men started and turned towards the entrance.

Kenshin's voice came out shakily as he replied, "y-yes Kaoru-san. I'm fine thank you."

"Alright, but hurry up, okay?"

The redhead smiled slightly, "yes."

After her footsteps faded away, Kenshin went back to tying his gi, concentrating intently.

"You love her."

"Oro?" The younger mans head popped up to stare blankly at his shishou..

Seijuro's eyes narrowed and he pointed an accusing finger at the redhead. "Don't you 'oro' me. And don't you dare avoid what I said."

Kenshin's left hand unconsciously rose to absently rub his cheek. He didn't answer for a long time and finally Hiko opened his mouth to repeat the statement.

"Yes, maybe, I don't know," Kenshin whispered, continuing to rub the scar while gazing at the floor without really seeing it.

Suddenly Hiko realized what the man was thinking. "Have you told her? About that scar, and about Tomoe?"

The redhead slowly shook his head, "no, she doesn't need to know."

"Yes, she does." The older man declared, then quickly walked over to his deshi, grabbed the long, red ponytail and dragged him towards the door.

"Shishou!" Kenshin protested loudly, struggling to get free, "that hurts!"

Hiko's reply was cool and calm, "then cut your hair if you don't want me to do this again."

And with that, he kicked the bathroom doors open and threw Kenshin out into the yard.

Kaoru, who had been walking back to the dojo, turned when she heard the doors slam open in time to see the redhead fly towards her and land face first in the dirt.

"Kenshin!" The woman shouted and ran towards him, stopping to kneel beside him. "Kenhsin, are you alright?"

The man rolled over to his side, "oroooo…."

"Oh be quiet," Hiko scolded as he walked past them. "Wish I never heard that word," he muttered to himself.

Kaoru was helping Kenshin to sit up and then slowly stand, when Hiko shouted back to them from the dojo porch, "tell her baka, or I'll throw you again!"

The woman turned to the redhead who was now shakily standing. "Tell me what, Kenshin?"

"It's, it's nothing Kaoru-san. Nothing important." He replied quietly, and then slowly began walking across the yard towards the dojo, leaving Kaoru behind.

"Kenshin," she whispered, trying not to cry.

* * *

The next morning the woman woke up much earlier then usual, and walked quietly out of the dojo to sit down on the porch. How on earth did Kenshin supposedly get up this early every day? 

She sighed, reflecting on the past afternoon. In that moment, he had been so close to tell her something, something important, a thing the redhead rarely took the opportunity to do so. From the way Hiko had demanded for Kenshin to share it with her, in such a violent way, it had been very important. And, by how Kenshin had refused to answer…

"Kaoru-san?"

The woman started and turned guiltily towards the door. When she saw who it was, the deer-in-the-headlights look faded into a smile. "Kenshin! What are you doing up so early?"

"I always get up this early Kaoru-san," he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "an unfortunate habit installed in me by Shishou."

Kaoru blinked, "oh."

Kenshin quietly walked out form the doorway to sit down on the porch next to her, sighing softly, "Kaoru-san,"

"Yes?"

The redhead sighed and his hands curled into fists, "there's-there's something I need to tell you."

Kaoru stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue talking. If she stopped him now, he might never tell her what he was trying to say.

Meanwhile Kenshin had closed his eyes, struggling with himself. He had said the words to begin the story, but now- he wasn't sure if he could continue what he had already began. Did he give up on telling her, and risk losing the love of a woman he had true feelings for? Feelings he hadn't experienced since Tomoe? Or, did he actually tell her, and place another burden on her already heavily burdened shoulders? One of his long-standing burdens, one she didn't need to make her life harder.

"Kenshin?"

The redhead sighed and slowly opened his eyes. "Kaoru-san, the story I'm about to tell you… I've never told anyone this before. Katsura-san and Okami-san knew because they were there, they saw it happen. And shishou… well who knows how he did, but he found out." Kenshin paused, fighting the urge to turn and smile at her, but right now it was all the redhead could do to keep himself talking.

"Kenshin," Kaoru whispered softly, placing a hand lightly on his arm.

"Kaoru-san, this story… took place during the wars when I was a hitokiri, and it involves how I received this scar… and how I met the woman who would later become my wife… a woman named Tomoe."

"_It began in 1864 when I turned fifteen. I had already been a hitokiri for a little less then three years, and my emotions and feelings were very much locked away, and my heart hardened. The assignment for that night was to kill a man named Shikura Jubeki, a policemen, who was supposed to have three bodyguards with him. I found Shikura walking home from a bar during a late hour, and after walking up to them I repeated the words I always told my victims_. _Even now they are burned into my memory, 'though I bear you no grudge, for the sake of the new era… you must die by my hand.'" _The man sighed and rested his forehead in his hands. "I said those words so many times Kaoru-san, I killed so many people in those few years. Looking back…"

Kaoru moved her hand down his arm until she found his hand and gripped it tightly, reassuring him as much as she could.

"_Never mind, I-I don't need to go into that right now. Well, after I said that, they turned around looking at me with wide eyes and pale faces. The older, more experienced bodyguard asked who I was, and I answered with my usual reply. All of them were __surprised, perhaps frightened__, so I took the advantage and rushed them. In three moves, I first disposed of my target, then the bodyguard who had spoken first."_

"_The last bodyguard, a young man, called out the names of his companions as they fell until I turned on him. He was barely able to block my sword as I rushed at him, and our blades pressed against each other. Mine was close to his neck, but he broke the standstill and separated us._

"_We attacked each other, but he wasn't very good. It was obvious that I would win, though we exchanged blows a few times. Finally we stopped attacking and stood, waiting. Before he could move, I ryutsuisened_ _him to the ground, but in the process he-" Kenshin sighed heavily, "he cut my cheek, giving me the vertical part of my scar. Afterwards I stood in shock for a few seconds. No one, no one I had met in the Ishin Shishi had ever been able to cut, or touch me."_

"_At the same time the man fell face first to the ground, bleeding heavily and near death. As I stood with my back to him the man began moaning and grunting. He whispered about how he didn't wish to die, and about a woman he was to marry, how he was going to finally be able to marry her, and how he would love her forever. I listened to him for awhile, then decided to put him out of his misery…"_

The woman next to him in the present day gasped softly, pulling slightly away from him, an action Kenshin distantly noticed. "You mean, you…"

"Yes, yes I did. But, you have to understand… that night, it wasn't like any of my other kills. Those had all been fast, precise and mechanical. This time, he fought me; he had had such a strong will to live- unlike me who had lost that many years before. This man, he had made me fight harder than before, and had for once opened my mind and made me think."

There was silence between them until the redhead decided to continue_, "after I killed him, the three __clean-up__ men showed up. They were in charge of getting rid of the bodies, and of getting rid of the blood. We exchanged a few words, but I don't remember them now."_

"_I returned to the inn that served as our headquarters, then the next night I continued to kill, all in the name of "tenchuu," and for the dawn of the new era. Every time I returned to my room and washed my hands repeatedly, trying to rid myself of the blood that stained them-but it never came off, it just continued __gathering__."_

"_One night several weeks later I went to bar. Usually I didn't drink, Shishou drank enough for the both of us, and I still don't. Back then it tasted like odd, bitter- like blood, but for many nights I continued to go. One of those times I sat at a table having sake and noodles, when a woman __walked in and over towards me_ _She asked for a glass of chilled sake and sat behind me. After several glasses the woman stood, and at the same time most of the men did as well, leering."_

"_They claimed they wanted to pay for more cups of sake for her, but then after she refused their offers, one man grabbed her by the front of her kimono and yelled at her. All the other men grouped around them, watching expectantly. While their attention was on their friend and the woman, I rose from my seat, walked over and pressed the end of my sheath into the stomach of the man who was holding the woman._ _At first, he continued bragging to his friends, until the owner of the bar politely asked him to stop and then leave. He agreed after a long pause, and dropped the woman onto the ground where the owner caught her. When the man turned to leave, I quietly confronted him, saying that if he hadn't released her, he would have had to face me. Then I quietly and quickly left the bar, walking out onto the street."_

"_After that, I wandered around for awhile, thinking about how the taste of blood was stronger now, and how uptight I was, as well. Maybe I was sick back then, I don't know, but the main principle of Hiten is saving people- and I was sure that was what I was doing._

"_I didn't know it, but two of the man had come after me. They hid in the dark alley next to a building, and then stepped out after I passed them. I killed the first man who ran at me, then turned to kill the second one when he shouted his companions name. But, he died before I could move- a sword was thrust through his mouth from behind. The man went down coughing blood and wheezing, and then a man appeared in front of me holding two swords. He named me then said I would not live long enough to go down in history. Before I knew it he attacked me, swinging chains at me that __came out__ from the end of one of his swords- and was attached to the end of another."_

"_At first I dodged and weaved, but as I did so the chains wound around me, __keeping_ _my arms at my side. I was able to keep hold of my sword, but couldn't use it. When I looked up, the man, a shadow assassin, was perched on the roof, holding the chains tightly, and a sword, in his hands. He readied himself to attack, but I gripped the chains near the end of the hilt of the sword in the ground, and pulled as hard as I could. A few seconds later, the sword slowly came out of the ground, and as he lunged at me I grabbed the hilt of the sword and leapt up to meet him. Just as the assassin lowered his sword, I raised mine and was able to get in_ _the first __blow__- which turned out to be the death blow. The man fell to the ground dead a few seconds later before I landed with my back to all those bodies, the chains lying at my feet."_

_"Then I heard someone come to a stop behind me and I turned to see the girl from the bar standing there, staring at me. I panicked, realizing that she had seen me kill- had seen Battousai kill, of whose existence no one knew of, or was supposed to know of. Gripping my sword, I readied myself to kill her… but then she spoke. She said that she had followed me, to thank me. And then, she said something that I've always remembered, "they always say that at a tragic scene a rain of blood falls… but you truly made it rain blood."_

_"When I turned back to look at her, she was mostly covered with blood herself, staining her kimono and her face. I sheathed my sword, watching as she stared at me with a pale face and unfocused brown eyes. We stared at each other for a few minutes, until I rushed forward to catch her as she fainted, and fell forward. After thinking I realized that I had hesitated to kill her- actually, I had forgotten about killing her, or being an assassin. But I realized that I had noticed she wore a perfume that smelled like white plums, which I found ridiculous, and shook my head while thinking I was most likely going crazy. When I looked closely at her, I decided that I would take her back to the inn since there was no reason to leave her there."_

_"I quietly turned and ran back, carrying the girl while at the same time making sure I didn't wake her. When I arrived at the inn, I slid open the door and called that I had returned. Okami-san met me at the door, asking where I had been, I told her "out" and removed my shoes. She noticed the woman as she came near and asked me what I was doing. Stammering, I answered that there had been a fight and she had fainted. I began to continue, but Okami-san gave me a stern, disbelieving look and I stopped. Then she walked closer and asked if I hadn't just gotten her drunk. _As I remember, Okami was the only one who ever teased me at all, everyone else was afraid of being killed, or receiving a "death-glare" – I guess back then I wanted people to believe that, that I wanted them to stay away from me."

_"Anyway, I was struck speechless by her suggestion, and turned away. Finally, Okami-san informed me that the inn wasn't a teahouse-and she wouldn't let this happen again. Then she said she would get the woman a change of clothes, and water. Afterwards I walked away to my room, but was in time to hear some of the men who were still awake asking what had happened. Okami-san told them the truth, which made all of them begin yelling, and misunderstanding, that I had brought "home" a girl."_

_"In my room I laid the woman down on the futon and then pulled a blanket over her, placing a pillow under her head. Then I walked over near the window and sat down, keeping my sword close at hand. I watched her for several minutes, then decided that she was just drunk, and with the combined smell of blood and of white plums I must have been going crazy."_

_"Surprisingly I fell asleep in that position, and woke up the next morning to find the futon empty and the woman gone. I rushed out of my room and ran throughout the inn to the kitchen. When I finally arrived there and pushed the door open, I found that the woman from last night was helping Okami-san, and feeding the other inhabitants. Okami-sensei greeted me, calling the woman my girlfriend while exclaiming how helpful she was. I nearly face-faulted at that, and when I recovered I asked, stuttering, for her name, which she replied was Tomoe. Then I asked her what she was doing, and she calmly replied, "can't you tell?" My answer was that she was helping in the kitchen, and Tomoe said, "then you can tell," as she began walking to the door that led into the _hall_, carrying trays. I asked if I could talk to her, and she replied that she was busy, and I should ask later."_

Kenshin laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "Now I am glad that I had Tomoe's presence back then. She was the only one who stood up to me, or made me question what I was doing. Her questions caused me to think, and pierced the haze around me. Tomoe helped me become the person I was supposed to be. It was because of her that I stopped being an assassin."

_"Anyway, Tomoe then knelt by the door and slowly opened it, calling that she had breakfast for them. Immediately the door slammed open the rest of the way and men pushed their way into the doorway, clamoring and shouting about how she was my girlfriend, how lucky I was, and how hot she was. When one of them suggested, well you know, I glared intensely at them and they all stiffened, scared, and rushed back to their meals."_

_"The next night I was finally able to talk to Tomoe alone in my room, which we were currently sharing. I explained to her why I wanted her to promise me she would forget what she had seen, and leave the inn. She __smarted__ back, asking if she was a burden, and remarking that Okami-san liked her. That discussion didn't go well for me, Tomoe kept asking questions instead of letting me ask them. Because of this I tried a new tactic, insisting that her family must be worried about her, but she replied that she had no family to return to. Then I informed her that the Ishin Shishi weren't in any state to look after her… but then, Tomoe asked if I would then kill her, like I had the person the night before."_

_"I informed her that I was killing for the Ishin Shishi only because I wanted to bring around a new era, where everyone could live in peace. I said I only killed the armed __bakufa officials __who opposed us, not civilians, even if they opposed us, not indiscriminately, and especially not women."_

The redhead smiled sadly, "the problem was that I was so set in my ideals, and my own reasons, that I was stunned, and surprised, when she questioned me- questioned what I was doing. That was not what I had expected. No one had ever done so, except if you counted Shishou who always did."

_"She set her chopsticks down and said, with complete sincerity, "so bad people carry swords and good people don't? Then, if I had been carrying a sword that night-would you have-?_

Kaoru gasped in surprise, "you mean, she meant... that you might have killed her?" She breathed his name quietly, "Kenshin,"

_"To be honest I didn't answer her, I truly wasn't sure what I would have done. You don't know how much, in that moment, it scared me. For once I didn't have the answer to a question, and I was unsure of what I believed. As I was wondering, Tomoe stood up and walked to the door then told me to let her know when I had an answer, and she left the room. There was silence in the room until I realized what she had done, and then called after her the obvious, that she had left me alone. When I settled again, I began doubting myself. I wasn't sure if, because of her, I was going crazy, or if everything was finally beginning to make sense."_

_"Two weeks passed after our conversation, and I still didn't have an answer to her question which had upset me so much. I was sitting in my room reading when Tomoe entered, saying she was going to clean the room. I replied that I hadn't asked her to, but her response was that Okami-san had asked her to. __Annoyed, I stood up and noticed there was a small book on the table along with the other ones._ _It seemed that she had settled in to this life very quickly and easily, especially if she was leaving things laying around like that. I asked her what is was, and she replied that it was her diary and then politely ordered me not to read it, which I wouldn't have done anyway. Then she placed it inside her kimono, 'just to be sure," she said._

Kenshin laughed softly, "all of our conversations were like that. Awkward, full of sarcasm, and," he paused thoughtfully, "realistic. She always annoyed me to no end, but, it was a good thing."

Then he shook his head, and declared, "anyway_… that night I received another envelope and had to firmly set aside my confusion and doubts. When I returned to the inn after killing the man, I went to the kitchen and washed my hands over and over, scrubbing and rubbing them- all the time wishing for the blood they were soaked in to come off. However it never did come off however many times I cleaned them, and as I was washing them, Tomoe walked into the doorway and stood there. She asked if I would continue to kill as I was doing."_

_"A few days later, after I returned to my room and after washing my hands, from my mission, Tomoe kept giving me weird looks while I readied myself for bed. I didn't ask her why, instead I sat in the corner as I always did and tried to fall asleep."_

_"Every night after that, every time I entered my room after I returned, she would be in there writing in her diary. And every night I would go into the kitchen and wash my hands over and over again, although the blood never came off."_

_"One night I hadn't received an assignment so I stayed in my room and read for awhile. Tomoe was still working around the inn, and I feel asleep before she returned. When she came in later, I wasn't aware of her doing so, and because of that I continued sleeping until I sensed someone who I believed to be an intruder. So then I grabbed my sword, and in a second had it unsheathed and pressed against the person's neck. A few seconds later, I realized that it was Tomoe who I sensed, and then Tomoe who I had attacked. Because I didn't trust myself I pushed her away from me and then I collapsed back onto the floor, breathing heavily"_

_"After all of those things I had said about not killing a citizen or an unarmed citizen, I had been awfully close to killing her. I quickly apologized and asked her to leave, just in case my instincts were to overwhelm me."_

_"I fully expected her to run out of the room, scared and wanting never to speak or see me again. That was what I expected, but instead Tomoe dropped the blanket onto my lap and commented that she would stay with me __for a while longer__, as to be a sheath for my madness. Those words surprised me so much that I pulled the blanket closer to me, then told her that my answer to her earlier question, of would I have killed her if she had held a sword, was no. And no matter what ever happened I would never kill her."_

Kaoru bit her lip, and reached for his hand again, "You… loved her didn't you?"

The redhead took her hand and smiled sadly, "I suppose I did, but back then I just thought of her as someone who helped me during that time of war, blood, and madness, a person who held back my own madness, who kept me sane and alive. But, I did love her, I suppose." He smiled again and squeezed her hand warmly.

"_Before I knew it, it was June 5__th__, the day of the Gion festival. By that time Tomoe and I had become more comfortable around each other, and she had continued to keep me sane and in reality, although of course I continued to go on missions at night, and stay alone during the day."_

"_One day, well late evening actually, Tomoe and I were sitting in my room. I had fallen asleep while she worked on some sewing. All of a sudden I woke up just as Katakai-san had burst in shouting, and Tomoe asked him what was the matter, while Iizuka entered as well. I quickly stood up, alerting them that I was awake. I asked Katakai-san what he was doing at the inn, since he was supposed to be guarding Katsura-san at a meeting __that was taking place. He responded, still shouting, that the meeting had been attacked by the Shishengumi, and the meeting place had been leaked."_

"_I panicked and asked about Katsura-san. I had gotten attached to him, and cared about his welfare, even through what he was making me do."_

"_To my relief Katakai-san said that Katsura had gone to run an errand at Tsushima headquarters since he had been running early, and had then been taking a catnap when the attack happened. However, Katakai-san continued to say that __Yoshida-san, Myabe-sensei and the others might have been__ killed."_

"_When I heard that, I rushed forward worrying for their safety, thinking I could go after them. But as I went past Iizuka, he caught me and held me in place, saying that it was too late for me to help them, that I'd never make it, and there were already too many Shogunate soldiers heading in the same direction and if I attacked, it would only hurt the Choshu party."_

"_I did wait until later, and then hid among the crowd with a hat to hide my appearance. When I got there, the Shishengumi had gathered and were parading around the city, celebrating their victory. They were our main enemies, the ones who were the greatest obstacle of our revolution. But, as I watched, one of them stopped and turned back towards me. Our eyes met for a few seconds before he continued walking again."_

The redhead smiled and laughed, shifting position so that he was lying on his stomach. "The funny thing was that that person was Saito, and as I turned back I had a thought that the two of us were going to have a long relationship… as we have still today."

The teen smiled at him, "I wouldn't really call it a relationship. As far as I've seen, you two despise each other."

"I suppose we do, but we respect each other at the same time, although we disagree most of the time," Kenshin commented thoughtfully.

"_Anyways, soon word spread around the Ikedaya incident, and since it had been greatly distorted and exaggerated and distorted by other people, it sparked a blaze of rage in Choshu. Therefore, we marched through Kyoto with 3000 soldiers. However, the Shogun sent an army of 20,000 against us, and, obviously, we were slaughtered. Truthfully, it was settled before the fight really began."_

"_Afterwards, it was known as the "Kimon incident" … and on that day many of us fought our hardest, but we could still not turn the tide of the war. When that one day was over, our casualties were at over 400 soldiers… and the Shogunate had 60 casualties. It was one of the worst incidents ever, fire was set to 28,000 homes- which drove those victims into the city streets, which were even less safe."_

"_I feel so bad about that incident, and I know I did back then as well. All of those people had been put in danger because of the war we were participating in, they were just innocent bystanders. After that day, Tomoe and I secretly met Katsura-san on a bridge in one of the areas where we had burned __places_ _down. We spoke about the Ikedaya incident, about how the ill-fated meeting had been meant to plan the retrieval of the emperor during the chaos creating by setting fire to Kyoto. And we also talked about how Katsura-san was against such an atrocity, and that Katakai-san said it was ordained by the heavens that he was the only survivor."_

"_But Katsura-san was in a depressive mood, and he commented that he was a failure, and that the Choshu party was near annilation, and being chased down as the enemy of the emperor. And he also said that the conservatives had regained power in Hagi, which was our party's capital. I asked him what I should do, since the Konagi-ya, the inn where our headquarters were, had been burnt down."_

"_Katsura-san told me that he had prepared a house in a farm village outside Kyoto where I was supposed to stay. I was supposed to lay low until our next action was decided, and Katsura-san would contact me through Iizuka. I guess it was the smart thing to do, if anyone saw us before we acted again then the whole point of our revolution would be lost, there would no longer be any point to it. But, I was hesitant about going to a farm outside of Kyoto, and doing nothing…just waiting."_

"_At least, I was until Katsura-san asked Tomoe to go with me, and live on the farm with me. His reason, at least as much as he said, was that a young couple blended in more then a young man on his own, but it was just entirely for appearances. Katsura-san's last words to me, on that day, were for her to take care of me, and then he walked away from us."_

"_We stood in silence for awhile until Tomoe asked what we should do, since she had nowhere to go. Stupidly I commented that everyone had somewhere to go, when that wasn't even true for me. Hiko had kicked me out, saying he never wanted to see me again, and my parents were gone, and I had no relatives- so there was nowhere for me either. Then I went on to say that if she needed travel funds, I would provide them."_

"_I realized how stupid and lowly that sounded and sighed before telling her that I knew that what I had just said was the coward's way out. __Just in that conversation with her, and when I thought over all of our time together, I thoroughly realized how much I cared for her, and how strongly I wanted to spend time with her… and so, I asked her to stay with me, and told her I didn't care about how long it was for, that I didn't want such a thing to be for appearances, I truly wanted to be with her." _

"_A few weeks later, in midsummer, we were married. I was fifteen, and Tomoe was eighteen… young lovers you could say," _Kenshin informed her, laughing slightly.

The redhead paused for a few minutes, and Kaoru didn't feel the need to interrupt him, or say anything.

"Did you love her?"

Kenshin's head rose at the teens question, and he looked confused then thoughtful. After awhile he answered quietly, "yes I did. At least…enough to marry her. Back then, I thought she was truly the one for me, the person who could protect me from the madness of the war, and who could love me for the person who I really was, not the hitokiri everyone knew."

Kaoru sighed and gently leaned against him, 'I wish he could love me like he obviously loved her. But, if she was able to help him live through the war, then I guess I can't be jealous of her. I just wished he cared for me like that.'

"_We had been living on that farm for five months, and Iizuka had visited us once or twice a month to tell us what was happening back in Kyoto. Most of the people in that area knew me as a medicine seller who lived with his wife. It was late December and Iizuka had come to visit again."_

"_He brought me up to date about what was happening back in the city, and that Choshu managed to avoid subjugation by the Bakufu, but there were rumors of a second attempt. Then on the 15__th__ of that month, Takasugi had stood with his Kihei army to regain control of the party's government, which caused Choshu to fall into a state of civil war. I asked if there had been any word from Katsura-san, but Iizuka said there was none, again, admitting that he wasn't able to contact Katsura-san. He said none knew where Katsura had gone, and that people calling him "running Kogoro" because of how he had dodged the bloodshed, and it might not be so far from the truth."_

"_And then he said something that I couldn't believe and that made me doubt him. Iizuka claimed that Choshu was already finished."_

"_I told him as such, and added that I believed Takasuki would win, and that Katsura would return soon. The two of us sat in silence again before I asked him what the city was like. Iizuka said it was gruesome__, that it was the Shishengumi's world now, and they were prowling the streets for revolutionaries while the Kyoto Mima Warigumi and other Shogunate armies competed with them."_

"_I warned him to be c__areful and that they wouldn't come to the country unless it was important. I admitted that I was worried about the enemies we had in the shadows, especially the traitor whose__ attacks we couldn't predict.__"_

"_After I said that, he commented that all the stale talk was making him stale, and asked if I felt the same. I said that it was thanks to him, and he replied by saying that he thought I might be bored living in lukewarm water, away from being a hitokiri. Standing up, I told him the truth, that I loved kenjutsu but not killing, and that there had been many eye-opening moments."_

"_Iizuka seemed like he was going to respond, but two of the townspeople came up to us, greeting me. I returned the greeting then began walking back to the small farm where Tomoe and I were living. On the way I met and conversed slightly with some of the other townsfolk."_

"_I finally made it to the farm where Tomoe was playing with some of the children from the village who often came to play with us."_

The redhead broke off from his narrative, smiling slightly while he fingered the sleeve of his worn gi, "those days we spent in the country together, it was like I was able to begin returning to the person who I used to be before I joined the war. And playing with those children, I've always enjoyed being around children, but this time it meant something more. I wasn't really given the chance of a normal childhood, so helping those children experience something I never had-it made me feel like I was really doing something.

Next to him Kaoru smiled, "it is true… children have such an innocent view of the world that I think it's important not to spoil that, however easy it might be."

"Just like you."

Kaoru turned on him, glaring furiously, "what did you say?"

He smiled placidly, "I only mean that, for being the assistant master of a kenjutsu dojo, you still don't believe in killing or hurting people."

"Hmph."

"Kenshin cleared his throat, "as I was saying_, I walked up to the farm and announced that I had returned. Immediately the kids surrounded me, asking where I had been while hitting me on the head with their "swords," which were really sticks, and throwing balls at me. I told them that I had been in the mountains gathering herbs, and then asked if Tomoe had played with them. One of the girls replied that Tomoe was no fun, and she was even scary to them."_

"_I noticed that one of the girls was standing a few feet away from us, staring at me hesitantly. I asked her what was wrong, and she quietly replied that her father had told her I was strange, and ordered her not to play with me. However, her mother had said I was a good person for helping other people. In response I told her I would be home the next day, and to come over and play with the others. She smiled at me then joined the other children as they went home."_

"_Tomoe apologized to me for not smiling, saying that she did like children, especially since they made me smile. I told her she was right, then explained a little of my history before telling her that I had never initiated a conversation, and that I had never exchanged smiles. As well as that I used to believe I was helping to journey towards a new era where everyone could be happy, and doing so with just my sword and death as companions. However before I had met her and spent these five months in the farmlands with her, I hadn't known what happiness was, and now, by being with her I had found what I was fighting for, and what I had to continue fighting for. I told her that I knew the battle would resume, but until then I wanted to stay with her for as long as I could."_

"_A few weeks later I was role-playing with two of the boys in the yard while the girls played nearby with a ball. __We were "fighting" with sticks as swords and playing as the Shishengumi and Choshu, when a young boy appeared slightly down the path from us. The children confirmed that he wasn't from the town, and one of them, who was braver, went to ask if he wanted to play. They stood facing each other for several minutes until the stranger hit the boy on the head. I moved forward to scold him, but the newcomer bit me on the hand."_

"_And then I heard Tomoe's voice from behind me, naming him Enishi. Tomoe asked if it was really him, and Enishi turned and smiled at her, calling her "sister."_

"_It turned out that he was her younger brother Enishi, from Edo, who had come to visit her. I tried to be nice, but when I tried to pat him on the head again, he bit my hand, and so I decided to let them spend time together, and I stepped outside with the children."_

"_The problem was… that she had never told me about having a brother, or anything about her past life. But, the larger problem was that no one except for Katsura-san and Iizuka-san were supposed to know where we were. And it was doubtful that Tomoe had given our position away, because she was so surprised when Enishi appeared."_

"_The children interrupted my thoughts, asking if I was going to play with them. I stood and joined them, realizing that all I had were suspicions, although it wasn't likely we would have any peace for the rest of the year."_

"_An hour or so later I had sent the kids home, and was walking back to the __house__ when I noticed Enishi walking towards me, his head lowered. I stopped in front of him and asked why he was leaving, since most likely Tomoe had already started dinner. He looked up at me with a cold, angry glare, and then shouted, "if only you had never existed!" Then he ran past, shoving me aside and ran quickly down the road. I stared after him for several moments before I entered the house to see Tomoe writing in her diary."_

"_She quickly shut it as I came in, and held it tightly to her chest. We then stared at each other before I asked her what was wrong, and she stuttered that it was nothing, then told me she had sent Enishi back to Edo. I stupidly repeated what she had said, and Tomoe declared she had never told me, and that I had never asked because I was so respectful. She said thoughtfully that it was time for us to talk about ourselves."_

"_I walked over to the window as she began speaking, telling me her family was from Kyoto and even though they didn't have money to waste, they had enough food. Her father was a retainer for the Shogun, and a kind man. Her mother was a good woman, but had died soon after giving birth to Enishi. Since he never knew his mother, Tomoe had raised him on her own, so to him she was both a mother and a sister."_

_Tomoe paused, stood, and handed a cup of tea to me before she continued. She told be that her fiancé was a kind man who worked hard and was the second son on another retainer. The man had asked her to marry him, and Tomoe told me that she had been happy, but back then hadn't been able to show it. Supposedly he didn't feel that he was worthy of her, so the wedding was postponed while he joined the __Mimawarigumi_ _in Kyoto… but he had never returned to her."_

Kaoru frowned, puzzled, but then straightened, "you mean… the man you killed that one time…" she drifted off, astonished by the truth.

Beside her the redhead bowed his head and sighed, "yes, that man was her fiancé. I had forgotten, but he had been whispering her name as he struggled to stay alive that night."

"Kenshin," the teen whispered quietly.

He shook his head then continued with his story,_ "Tomoe told me that after she heard the news of his death, she wasn't able to rest and so came to Kyoto. Then… she told me that her happiness died along with him, and she thought it was her fault. Tomoe believed that if only she had cried and begged him to stay…then he would still be alive. Then she explained that she thought she had to find someone to hate, in order to keep her sanity."_

"_I gently pulled her towards me and __partially__ hugged her, telling her I understood what she meant. She cried as I held her, and I couldn't help but feel her pain."_

"_In the end we sat on the floor next to each other, a blanket wrapped around us. I told her how I left Shishou to protect people's happiness with my sword, and that I believed I had to end the chaos and build a new era, but in order to do so I allied myself with the Choshu and became a hitokiri. Then, I explained how I had thought I could use my sword to accomplish happiness but in reality I continued just killed, causing unhappiness with each man I brought death to._ _I told her how my s__oul had grown heavy, my conscious misty, and the smell of blood always had accompanied me_."

"_But then, she came into my life and her questions blew the mists from my mind, and let the sun of sanity break through it. I no longer smelled blood; it had been replaced by the faint smell of white plums."_

Kaoru moved closer to him, "you can be so poetic and philosophical sometimes Kenshin. You're so weird."

The redhead smiled at her and laughed, "If you say so, Kaoru. Anyways,_ I told her that now I knew that no matter how powerful his sword, how perfect his kills… no man could change an era, no one man could bear the happiness of humanity on his shoulders. All a man could do was to protect the happiness of the people he can see."_

The woman sighed silently and looked away from him, 'but you still try to protect everyone's happiness even now, although you know that you can't," she thought to herself sadly.

"_I explained that for now I would continue being a hitokiri, until the new era was established. And when that happened, I would find a way to protect without killing, I would seek a way to pay for all the happiness I had taken from others. __Then I told her that I would help protect the happiness she had lost to the chaos, this time around, and… she smiled."_

"That night when we shared our feeling and our histories…it made me so happy to have someone who understood me, and who would let me be myself. I cared so much for her, and hoped she felt the same way." Kenshin admitted to Kaoru, smiling as he rested his chin on his folded hands. "But, it didn't turn out that way."

Kaoru suddenly had a horrible feeling in her stomach, she suddenly knew that something was going to happen, something horrible had to have happened to split them apart.

"_The next morning I woke up to find Tomoe gone. __After I wandered around the room a little, I finally noticed a letter slipped in the door. When I read it, the letter turned out to be a ransom note. Someone had taken Tomoe, and they were challenging me to go into the forest where they were holding her to get her back."_

He shook his head, "_I couldn't believe I had failed to protect the one person I loved, and had let her be taken away from me. Angrily, I walked toward a path that led into the forest, and just before I entered, threw the letter aside."_

"_Immediately I could tell that something was wrong, the forest didn't feel right. It was as if one of my senses had been smothered."_

"_A second later someone attacked me from behind,__ and I wasn't even able to tell that he was there. I jumped back from him, and landed so I was turned sideways towards him."_

"_He laughed and explained to me that this was the "Binding Force," that this wasn't a normal forests, its magnetic fields were deeply corrupted, twisted more then other forests in Fuji. In the forest, where there weren't any animals, the "sixth sense" of all great swordsmen were no use, and the only people who could properly use their _"_extra perception_" _were people who had trained there… the Yaminobu. The man foolishly supposed that all of that meant I could only fight at half strength."_

"_To show him how wrong he was, I attacked him using a Battojutsu attack. He flew backwards and landed on the hard ground painfully. As the blood __flowed_ _from his wound, I walked up and placed my foot on it, causing him to scream. Angrily I told him that I promised Tomoe I would protect her happiness, and that I didn't care where we were or where he was, because I would kill anyone who stood in my way."_

Kaoru smiled and whispered, "You really loved her, didn't you?"

The man closed his eyes. "Enough to kill anyone who tried to hurt her or take away her happiness? Yes."

A long pause followed his answer, until Kenshin finally said, "I remember every detail of that horrible day… the snow falling down on us, the cold wind, my thought, my actions… my emotions."

Kaoru gently gripped his arm, "go on Kenshin."

He nodded, _"I held my sword straight out at him, and told the man to either lead me to where Tomoe was, or to his death. He glared at me confused, and then suddenly gripped his left wrist with his right… and a dart embedded itself in my shoulder."_

"_The ninja, or whatever he was, exclaimed that I hadn't stepped in further to my attack, which would have hurt him more, because I couldn't control my body. He said that because of the forces __binding__ my sixth sense, my __skill__ was impaired and therefore I had no chance of winning."_

"_He was going to continue his rant, but I pulled the dart out of my shoulder, which made him stare, then threw it into the air while yelling at him, asking if he thought I cared. And then, in one __sweep__, I cut off both of his hands."_

Beside him, Kaoru made a gagging motion and covered her mouth with her hands, her sapphire eyes wide.

Kenshin turned towards her and said worriedly, "it only gets gorier from here on. I will stop if you want me to…"

From behind her hands Kaoru said, "No, go on. I want to know what happened." 'I want to know what happened to the woman you would have died to protect.'

The redhead nodded and lowered his head_, "I attacked him and felled him to the ground. The man frowned and ran off through the forest. I followed him to a cave, then threw his arms beside him, saying that he had forgotten them. I asked him to tell me where Tomoe was, and then I would kill him."_

"_He said she was past the cave, and to the right, but then he told me that this wasn't over. That there were three more of them and that I couldn't beat all of them. He boasted they were the Yaminobu "shadow warriors," and they were the ninja among ninja-only allowed victory. Then I noticed he had a rope__ held between his toes, the ninja kicked his foot through the air, ripping the rope off a group of barrels hidden in the corner. Whatever was in those barrels met the oxygen in the air and it combusted, turning into a group of explosions, and made a large fireball as it exploded out of the cave. I ran out with it right at my back, and just as I leaped from the entrance, it exploded from the cave."_

"_I crouched on the ground, still holding my sword, and called him a sore loser. Then a few seconds later I realized what he had done with the explosion, now everything was either too soft or too loud. I could loudly hear the snow as it fell on the ground, or as I picked up my sword, but I couldn't hear it falling through the air."_

"_My hearing had been impaired by the noise of the explosion, and my sense of volume and direction were also distorted, meaning I couldn't rely on either of them during a fight." I slowly stood up, staring into the fire that was crackling through the air from the inside of the cave._

_Someone spoke behind me, but their words weren't very audible, as they kept fading_ _in and out of my hearing. I turned around and saw a man dressed like the other ninja, standing a few yards away from me, holding a large, long-handled axe."_

"_He had said something about me losing two more senses, and only having two left to fight with, but I just asked him if he really thought I cared…and he said I did."_

"Did you really, Kenshin?" The girl beside him interrupted.

Himura looked surprised and turned his head towards her, "I'm not sure. I suppose I cared that it would impair my skills during a fight, but I wasn't very worried… I would still be able to fight."

"Then why would you say that?"

The redhead laughed, "because I was a cocky, stubborn, brat back then. And during that time I was only concerned about getting Tomoe back."

"Oh." Kaoru commented, then continued in her head, 'so you really did care for her.'

"Anyway,_ the man cut several trees down, slicing their trunks into parts before throwing all of them at me. I was able to dodge them fairly easily, then informed the ninja that even without my intuition and hearing, I could still see well enough to dodge."_

"_Another round of trunks came towards me, and a man appeared from behind one of the ones closest to me. He commented that he was surprised I could dodge, but it wasn't the same if the objects attacked."_

"_His fingers were __clawed and he reached forward towards me_, _as I raised my sword to block his attack, then leapt into the air and split the trunk in half. When I landed again, he jumped to another tree and peered at me from over the edge. I met his eyes and he smiled creepily at me."_

"_I commented that by them attacking simultaneously, we would save a lot of time. The man with the axe yelled as he cut more trunks, and flung them at me again. I split the first one in half as I ran forward, dodging while at the same getting hit, then another came straight at me and I slashed that one in half as well."_

"_The two ninjas spoke to each other, but I didn't pay attention to their words, I was too busy gathering my remaining strength. All of a sudden something very sharp __punctured__ my shoulder. I__ groaned__, concentrating on the pain and noticed too late that a trunk was coming straight at me. The __thing__ hit me and made all of my injuries worse, causing me to cough __blood."_

"_Once again I gathered my strength and leaped at the man before slashing his legs so that they were cut off. He shouted and fell forward while I used my sword to stop myself from sliding backwards from the force of the blow, digging it into the ground. Unfortunately I released it and then could barely stand."_

"_The other ninja threw something at the wound on shoulder, making me fall back against the tree. I clutched at my shoulder, breathing heavily, but then he dug into my other shoulder from above with his claw, creating a larger wound. He joked, asking if he should give me credit for my persistence, and then added it was a pity I had lost my sword."_

"_I put a hand on my sword, commented that he was becoming annoying, then drew my sword and thrust it through one of his hands. He screamed, but I told him that I would kill him soon, so he should stay where he was- like he had any choice. I walked away, then turned back when I heard him talking to himself while trying to tug the sword out."_

"_He noticed me watching him and immediately stopped. I commented that I had wondered how his attacks had had such a reach, and that now it made sense. By now my gi was completely torn and ripped, as well my hakama, which was cut around my ankles, and at the same time breathing heavily. He glared at me and clenched his teeth, then with a shout yanked the sword out of his hand, which caused it to bleed. The ninja shouted that his body was a secret passed down through generations of his clan, and it was law that anyone who saw it had to die. Then he leaped into the air, saying that he would end our fight for now, but would return to kill me later."_

"_After that man was gone, I turned back to the first one and asked where the last man was. He responded that he was in the hut ahead, along with Tomoe. I began walking that way, off into the forest, but he stopped me and said that I would miss the third bond- and I should take a good look. When he said that, I turned back to see, and at that moment he hit a wooden plate in the ground, causing a bright light to explode."_

"_The explosion threw me back against a tree, and a few minutes later I clutched my head, slowly opening my eyes. I realized, squinting, that the explosion had affected my vision, so much so that I could barely see. After slowly getting to my feet, I analyzed myself to realize that it was just temporary blindness, and if I waited I would probably recover completely-but, I didn't have that long to wait, so I continued on."_

"_I walked for a few minutes until I stepped into a clearing where there was a hut, and an older man waiting. He turned as I came up and then he gasped surprised as I declared I was there to take Tomoe back. After I did so, we had a staring contest before he spoke his thoughts aloud, trying to figure my logic out. The man claimed that the reason his other two companions lost, was that I was no longer a man who fought for the sole aim of completing his mission, now I fought with the fury of a man protecting his woman. He then declared that if I wanted Tomoe, I would have to kill him first."_

"_Then, the man came at me and flexed his muscles before hitting me hard in the neck with them. He damaged my spinal cord and my head snapped back, making me spit blood. I was flung backwards to land on my back in the snow, but in that space of time I managed to cut him on the chest. He declared that since I was injured and most of my senses were impaired, there was no way I could win."_

"_I sat up, clutching my neck and trying to recover from the sudden dizziness while breathing harshly. Then I informed him that even though my body and senses didn't work normally, I could still attack him. He put a hand on his wound and commented that he couldn't approach me carelessly, and he also couldn't attack me with the same attack again, but he would find another way to fight me."_

"_We exchanged attacks for awhile, but I was hit more then him, and harder. In the end, I was forced back, breathing even harder. He said that by wearing me down, repeatedly hitting me but never getting too close, he would gradually chisel away by strength- and I couldn't do a thing about it in my state. I felt my hand slowly growing numb, and my grip on my sword loosened, unfortunately, he noticed and commented that the severe blood loss and extremely cold weather had rendered my body completely numb. The "fourth binding" to take away my sense of touch was done He asked if I thought he was a coward, but that it was okay because even against the strongest weapon or seasoned warrior, the realm they found after many battles … allowing them to outdo any newcomer, was cunning. Then, he told me I had no chance of winning, but I had fought well… and because of that, he would give me the chance to either die by having death chip at me blow by blow, or have the instant death from a fatal blow."_

"_I acknowledged that I couldn't win, but decided I could take him with me in my death, and then gripped my sword. He spoke, but I didn't hear as I decided to cut off all useless senses and put everything into one strike. Silently before I attacked, I begged Tomoe to live in the new era and achieve happiness for herself."_

"_A few seconds later I rushed forward, raising my sword while keeping my eyes closed. I prepared a mock battojutsu attack, but didn't hear him stop, so I continued through with the attack. But, as my sword cut through flesh, I realized that something was wrong. When I completed the attack; I raised my head to see…"_

Kaoru stared when Kenshin drifted off in the middle of his sentence, something that rarely happened. "Kenshin?"

To her surprise, the redhead choked and buried his face in his sleeves. A few seconds later Kaoru realized he was crying, and that the man was shaking silently. Cautiously she put a hand on his shoulder, then, when he didn't react, on the top of his head. "Kenshin?"

"I killed her Kaoru, I killed her with my own sword."

The woman gasped, but didn't pull her hand away, "Kenshin," she breathed softly.

"_My sword had cut through her shoulder and down her back, while at the same time immediately killing the other man. I watched stunned as she fell to the ground in what seemed to be slow motion. The dagger that she had held, in order to kill the man, dropped from her hand as she fell backwards towards me, blood spurting from her wound. Her scent of perfume, of white plum blossoms, came to me and I finally realized what I had done. As her dagger dropped, it cut me horizontally on the cheek, giving me my other scar. She fell onto the ground, close to death, but I could only stand above her stunned, with my sword still outstretched. Then the dagger plunged into the ground, and I drove my sword beside it before I knelt beside her and gently pulled her fragile body into my lap, softly calling her name. I cried that entire time, not even noticing that the scar on my cheek was bleeding."_

"_I kept asking her why, but she just opened her eyes and smiled at me as she reached up and patted my scar. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes… and then she closed them, for the last time. I clutched her to my chest, stuttering her name before screaming it at the top of my lungs. Tears began flowing from my eyes, and I asked myself why this had to be the way it had to be, asked why I shouldn't cry for her and completely denied it had to be this way. I bent over and silently called her name. She looked so content, even in death. Even after I, who had vowed to protect her… had killed her."_

Kaoru was quiet after Kenshin finished his story. Now she knew all about what had happened during the war, and what had happened with him and Tomoe. But, because she did know, she felt like she understood him just a little more, including the redhead's aversion towards marrying her, or even saying that he cared for her. The thought of it made him remember Tomoe, and his short time with her.

She leaned closer to him and whispered softly, "Kenshin…"

But the redhead sighed and slowly rose to his feet, "I have to go out. Please excuse me." He nodded to her, then stepped off the porch, walked across the yard and exited through the gate.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted, then sighed and slumped back against the wall. "I never thanked him for telling me, or told him that I still care for him, even after what he did." She closed his eyes, "he never lets me tell him what I think…but maybe he's afraid of what I'll say."

A few minutes later, the girl slowly opened her eyes to gaze at the gate, and the man who was somewhere beyond it.

"I love you, Kenshin."

* * *

Standing outside the yard and beside the gate, the redhead sighed and closed his eyes. Even though he was hidden from Kaoru's eyes, he still had heard everything she had said, especially her last few words. 

She hadn't said them to his face, instead speaking when she thought no one was listening, but it had meant something to him, something very important.

She loved him.

He had been locking away his feelings for her, ever since he had realized they were there, because not only did he not want to jeopardize their relationship, but more because he didn't believe that he was worthy of her, or of her love. She was too good of a person to have to carry his troubling burdens as well as her own.

Now, since she had spoken those few words that meant so much, he had to rethinkthe feelings he had in his heart towards her.

And, if he did come to the realization that he truly did love her, would he then risk her happiness by marrying her, and then spend the rest of his life attempting to make her happy?

Could he make her happy?

He wasn't certain that even right now he wasn't always disappointing her, or causing her to worry. The time when he had left all of his friends behind, and had gone to Kyoto to fight Shishio, with an uncertain outcome, it had been hard for him to gather the courage to say good-bye to Kaoru, for more than just going to Kyoto… for saying goodbye forever.

Kenshin swallowed as the emotions from that night threatened to overwhelm him again, ones he had thought had left after his return to Tokyo, and the dojo-his new home. In Kyoto he had tried to lock those feelings away, and forget Kaoru in order to win the fight, but when she had shown up at his Shishou's cabin… they had returned.

In that moment, when he had seen her framed in the doorway, and the caring hope shining in her eyes, he had realized that he was glad she had come after him…

and that he truly did love her.

Then, ever since they all had returned from Kyoto, his and Kaoru's relationship had been more open then it had before Shishio's uprising. He didn't hide as many things from her as before, or from the others, and in return she was more patient and even-tempered with him. It was one further step to a true relationship between them, and to their admittance of love.

The redhead sighed. And here was, back to the question if he loved her or not.

When Shishou had stated that he, Kenshin, loved her, Kaoru, Kenshin hadn't known how to answer him. If his Shishou, who was extremely observant, could realize the truth…then Kaoru might have noticed as well. He was fairly sure that his friends had already noticed, it seemed like they were always pushing him and Kaoru towards each other.

His impulse response had been to say yes, but then his uncertainty had arisen once again, forcing him to change his answer to maybe.

However, he only said maybe because the redhead was uncertain if he was truly worthy of the honor of having her as his wife. She was such a wonderful, caring and generous person… so unlike himself.

But, maybe she could teach him the innocence that seemed to radiate from her, the innocence he had lost along with his childhood, or her way of firmly believing in swords that don't kill, and using weapons only to protect people, not to kill them.

He wished he could be that way, and perhaps, if he married her, that could come true.

If he married her…

If…

The redhead sighed, smiled confidently as he raised his head and set off down the road with renewed determination.

* * *

"Kenshin no baka!" Kaoru scowled and angrily slammed the wooden spoon onto the counter. "I've had enough of that stupid, idiotic, thick-headed, stubborn red-headed idiot! He's so, he's so…" 

After not finding an answer as to what Kenshin was, the teenager returned to stirring what could be called miso soup cooking on the stove, glaring at it while circling the pot with the spoon, grumbling under her breath.

Then Yahiko and Sano had come by earlier that morning, after Kenshin had left, to eat and then insult her food, neither of which helped her temper. Especially after Megumi arrived later to join in the teasing.

The woman sighed, removed the spoon from the soup, and set it gently down. She hung her head tiredly and steadied herself with two hands pressed against the edge of the counter.

Dark hair fell into her eyes, but the woman took no notice of it, her mind was already preoccupied with the idiotic redhead.

When she had heard him say he had to go out, Kaoru had worried that Kenshin had meant he would be gone forever, meant that he was leaving the dojo... and her, forever.

Why else would he have left her after telling her his emotional and sad story that he must have waited to tell her for very long, without letting her say something?

Maybe he had meant that she wouldn't be able to compare to Tomoe as a wife, or meant that no one could ever compare to Tomoe.

Kaoru closed her eyes, trying to ward off the tears coming to her eyes. That was it, wasn't it? Kenshin didn't think she could compare to Tomoe, so he wasn't even giving her a chance to prove herself.

Damn that idiot! How dare he!

"Kaoru-san?"

The woman turned to glare at the intruder with fierce sapphire eyes. "What!" Her expression softened slightly when she noticed the redhead standing poised in front of the doorway. "Kenshin," she breathed quietly, the glare softening into a small smile.

He nodded his head, then his gaze slid over to the stove, "what are you making?"

"Miso soup, for dinner," Kaoru explained brokenly, glancing at the stove as well.

The redhead smiled softly and walked towards the stove to stop in front of it and inspect the food. "How far have you gotten?" He asked curiously, then picked up the spoon and stirred the soup.

She bit her lip, "well, I put a lot of the vegetables in, and salt, because it was a little sour, but I think its nearly done."

Kenshin smiled at her, "I'm sure it will be wonderful then." He spooned up some of the soup and tasted it, then tried not to show how awful it was. She had put salt in all right, far too much salt. But he just smiled again and told her it was excellent, all just to see her smile.

"I'm so glad you like it! I tried really hard to make it taste good!" Kaoru replied, beaming happily while clapping her hands together.

"It does," the man reassured her, then set the spoon back on the counter. "Kaoru-san, do you have time to speak with me?"

Her heart skipped a beat. _He's going to tell me that he's leaving, because I can't compare to Tomoe. _"What's wrong, Kenshin?" she asked, dreading the answer.

He sighed and turned to face her, half-smiling. Then he slowly raised his hands and gently took her delicate hands in his hard, callused ones.

"Kaoru, I know I've made you worry countless times, as well as put you in numerous awkward and near-death situations. But you're still here, and I'm still here… we're still alive, and with each other. Even after all we've gone through, after all of the highs and lows, we're still here… we've managed to overcome all of those things, and we're better off because of it. I know it's my fault for bringing all of these problems into your life, and it's all because of how I chose to be used in the war. People want to get revenge on me, so they used you to do so."

Kenshin frowned and looked at her sorrowfully, "I'm sorry I put you in all of those situations Kaoru, and made you suffer because of me. It wasn't necessary for you to let me stay and then have you suffer through all of that, but you did… you stayed all of those times. That showed how much you cared for me, and how much you believed in me, and I can't thank you enough for that."

The teen looked confusedly at him. "Kenshin," she whispered softly.

"I don't deserve you Kaoru, you're much too good for me. You have innocence, you find it possible to care for anyone and everyone, and you've told me countless times that you do not care about my past, and what I've done. That you believe it is only the person, and the future, that matters."

"The reason why I've never told you my feelings was because I didn't believe I was worthy of being loved by you. You're an unique person to be able to love me, a hitokiri. Most people wouldn't, but you've found a way to, and I admire you because of it."

He smiled gently at her, "I've experienced a lot of hardships in my life, and I've been able to deal with them… but you're the first good thing to happen to me in nearly twenty years. And I'm very glad we've been able to meet each other, because you have been a good influence in my life."

When the redhead lowered himself to a kneeling position, still holding her hands, Kaoru gasped while her eyes filled with tears. Her heart was skipping beats again, but for a completely different reason. Was he…?

"Kaoru, I'm glad that I lived through the war, because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to be here with you. You're unique, and a wonderful person… one in a million in this world. I love you very much, and I'm so glad you can care for me as you do. I'm not worthy of you, but I plan to do the best I can to make you happy. You deserve to be happy, and to not have to constantly worry about me. Anything you want, you should have. That's my promise to you, to show you just how special you are."

He let go of one of her hands, reaching into his pocket while Kaoru watched breathlessly.

From his pocket, Kenshin drew out a small, black box. "I love you so much Kaoru and I want you to be happy. I'm sorry I took so long to ask you, but until now I couldn't believe that I deserved you."

"Kaoru, you're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I am so thankful of that. I don't know what I would do without you in my life."

He smiled and opened the box with one finger, revealing a silver ring, set with a small, sparking stone.

"Kenshin," the woman whispered quietly, her eyes wide.

The redhead proffered the box. "Kaoru, please... Kaoru Kamiya, will you marry me?"

There was complete silence, as if everything and one, was holding their breath, waiting for her answer, just as Kenshin was.

The woman laughed, tears of happiness trailing down her face. Kenshin noticed this and looked up at her worriedly, afraid that something was wrong.

"Of course, Kenshin! Of course I will!" She exclaimed, flinging her arms around him in order to pull him into a loving hug.

Her tears felt wet against his cheek, but he paid no attention to the sensation, instead burying himself in the warm emotion of pleasure he was feeling.

Kenshin tightened his arms around her and whispered softly in her ear, "thank you Kaoru, thank you so very much."

* * *

YES they got together in the end... how could they not? And that proposal was so SWEET! 

Anyway... I'm sorry about the length, but I thought it was neccessary to add Kenshin telling Kaoru about Tomoe. Actually quite a bit was cut out anyway.. it used to be 38 pages... (now its 36)

Well, this is the end... just a few more comments untill we say goodbye.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!!! It meant so much to hear your comments and advice, and it was a wonderful way to keep me writing.

THANK YOU to Ash-mouto-chan AKA Yanikei, my beta-reader, for always putting up with me... and for editing my fics which make them all the more better. I owe you a lot.

THANK YOU to Siriusfanl13 who's fic Out of Time gave me the idea for starting RT.

There will not be an epilogue or deleted scenes or any such extras.. I'm sorry to say that this is the absolute end.

Thank you everyone once again for supporting me, and for reading my fics, it means a lot.

If you enjoyed RT, please read my other ones as well. I am actually considering starting another one. (dodges rotten food) I'll get to the others okay! I'll update soon!

One more thing, if you're ever looking for good anime to watch, I would recommend Ouran High School Host Club and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. They are both on youtube, as well as veoh (www veoh com). If you watch The Melancholy... please pm me and I will send you the chronological order.

Also, if you are looking for good fics to read, please look at my favorites.

If anyone feels the need to IM me.. my screen name on AIM is pippnfrodo. I would love to talk.

Thanks once again, I love you all...

sayonara,

mijichan


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